Condensation Control Applications
The presence of condensation formation in steel and metal storage warehouses has been, and still is, a very acute and expensive problem. Condensation or water formation occurs whenever the temperature of the stored material is below the dew point temperature of the ambient or surrounding air. This condition usually occurs whenever the outside temperature and the dew point temperature rise suddenly after an extended cold period. Since the stored material cannot be heated quickly enough to keep pace with the rising dew point temperature, condensation or water formation then occurs and the material is either rusted, spotted or damaged in some other way.
The damage to stored steel or other metals does not restrict itself only to unprotected surfaces alone. It also can be observed frequently on galvanized steel, aluminum and stainless steel.This damage is commonly referred to as “white rust” and will drastically reduce the value of the stored material.
The use of infrared tube heaters can significantly reduce the condensation problem and, depending on the amount of stored material, can save steel companies millions of dollars. In fact, one condensation control project utilizing Space-Ray infrared tube heaters at Weirton Steel, Inc. actually had payback time of only three weeks! We encourage you to investigate your steel or metal storage situation and let us help you with the design of a highly efficient Space-Ray heating system that will reduce or eliminate this problem.
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