SBIR Phase I: Energy Efficient Gas Fired Infrared Emitter Comprising SiC-Mo(Si0.8,Al0.2)2

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目旨在开发一种技术，这将大大改善造纸和纺织工业。发射器广泛用于造纸，纺织和其他大批量生产行业，以快速干燥快速移动的纸张和织物线。几乎所有的美国纸业都有干燥限制。发射器是电活性表面，火焰撞击在其上，红外（IR）辐射从加热表面发射。提出了一种新的等离子体束工艺和一种新的金属间复合材料SiC-Mo(Si0.8,Al0.2)2相结合的方法来合成各种构型的新型发射极材料。主要研究目标是：(1)通过等离子束工艺合成新型SiC-Mo(Si0.8,Al0.2)2复合材料；(2)在Fe-Al-Cr合金发射极衬底上沉积新型SiC-Mo(Si0.8,Al0.2)2复合材料；(3)利用SiC-Mo(Si0.8,Al0.2)2材料制备高能效复杂形状红外发射极；(4)提高发射率30%以上，提高能效15%以上，提高工作温度400oC。研究计划不仅针对新材料，而且还将导致更好的热模型。在商业上，预期的好处是非常大的，因为它们影响了几乎70%的造纸工业和其他需要快速加热的工业。这组行业每年使用大约2432万亿btu的能源。由于新发射器的发射率和温度能力的提高，该项目在各种应用中的潜在能源节约预计将非常显著。众所周知，较高的工作温度会提高生产率（即更高的生产率）。因此，根据公开的计算，造纸厂预计将提高生产线效率约15%，这是生产率的一个非常显着的提高。基于发射器的加热装置的总市场保守估计为9亿美元用于干燥操作。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to develop a technology that will be a dramatic improvement in the paper and textile industries. Emitters are used extensively in the paper, textile and other larger volume production industries to rapidly dry the fast moving paper and fabric lines. Nearly all of the US paper lines are drier limited. Emitters are electro-active surfaces on which a flame impinges andinfrared (IR) radiation is emitted from the heated surface. A combination of a new plasma beam process and a new intermetallic composite material SiC-Mo(Si0.8,Al0.2)2 is proposed for the synthesis of the novel emitter material in various configurations. The main research objectives are: (i) to synthesize a new SiC-Mo(Si0.8,Al0.2)2 composite material by a plasma beam process (ii) to deposit this new material as an adherent coating on Fe-Al-Cr alloy emitter substrate (iii) to develop high energy efficient complex shape IR emitters made of the SiC-Mo(Si0.8,Al0.2)2 material, and (iv) to aim for a greater than 30% emissivity increase, 15% energy efficiency increase and a 400oC operational temperature increase. The research program will not only be directed at the new material but will also lead to a better thermal model. Commercially, the anticipated benefits are extremely large as they impact almost 70% ofthe paper industry and other industries where rapid heating is required. This group of industries use approximately 2432 Trillion BTUs of energy annually. The potential energy savings from this project in various applications is expected to be extremely significant, on account of the improved emissivity and temperature capability of the new emitter. It is also well known that higher operating temperatures leads to enhanced productivity (i.e. higher production rate). Thus, based on published calculations, paper mills are expected to improve line efficiency by about 15%, which is a very significant improvement in productivity. The total market for emitter based heating devices is valued conservatively at $900 Million for the drying operations.