Provided is an on-line ice-melting apparatus. The apparatus is configured for melting the ice on a three-phase line. The apparatus includes an adjustable reactor, a grounding transformer, a controller, and an auxiliary circuit. The grounding transformer, the adjustable reactor, the auxiliary circuit, and a line of any phase of the three-phase line form a first control loop. The adjustable reactor includes a working winding, a control winding, and a short-circuit winding. The working winding is connected between the grounding transformer and the auxiliary circuit. The controller is electrically connected to the control winding and the short-circuit winding separately.

An IR radiator element (1) suitable for use as a miniature infrared emitter (micro-hotplate) in a gas sensor, IR-spectrometer or electron microscope. The micro-hotplate comprises a plate (2) supported by multiple support arms (4). The plate and arms are fabricated as a MEMS device comprising a single contiguous piece of electrically-conducting refractory ceramic such as hafnium carbide (HfC) or tantalum hafnium carbide (TaHfC). Each of the arms (4), in addition to providing structural cantilever support for the plate (2), acts as a heating element for the plate (2). The plate (2) is heated by applying a voltage across the arms (4). The arms (4) may also be shaped to absorb thermomechanical stress which arises during the heating and cooling of the arms and plate. The plate, which may have an area of less than 0.05 mm.sup.2 and a thickness of between 1% and 10% of the largest dimension of the plate (2), for example, can be heated to 4,000 K or more and cooled again with a duty cycle of as little 0.5 ms, thereby permitting pulsed operation at frequencies of up to 2 kHz. Its small size (10-200 μm) and low power consumption (e.g. 10-100 mW) make the micro-hotplate suitable for use in cryogenic applications, in miniaturized devices or in battery-powered devices such as mobile phones.

A method for controlling interfacial thermal resistance is provided. The method includes: providing a metallic thermal conductor and a non-metallic thermal conductor, the metallic thermal conductor and the non-metallic thermal conductor are in direct contact with each other to form an interface; and varying an electric field at the interface to modulate the interfacial thermal resistance at the interface.

A manufacturing method of a sintered body is a manufacturing method of the sintered body which increases a temperature while applying an electric field to a ceramic compact. This method controls a current which flows to the ceramic compact so that a sintering rate becomes constant.

A heated probe is provided that cooks food from the inside-out in order to help reduce cooking times. The probe may be used within an oven, or it may be used as a standalone cooking source. The probe may include heat control, such that foods may be cooked at a low temperature for extended periods of time without drying out the food. Such heat control may help keep proteins tender to produce a result similar to proteins cooked in a sous vide style.

A MEMS hotplate is used as a test substrate for characterizing a temperature-dependent fabrication process. According to a variant, an array of MEMS hotplates is used to provide multiple test substrates which can be simultaneously heated to different temperatures to provide multiple different temperature-dependent characterizations of the process.

A concrete heating system for electrically melting snow and ice. The concrete heating system generally includes a heating device for embedding in conductive concrete, the device having a spacing member and a plurality of electrically isolated conductors extending outward at an angle from the spacing member along its length. The device also includes a first electrode near the first end of the spacing member, and a second electrode extending outward from the spacing member at the second end. The plurality of conductors conduct an electrical current between the first electrode and the second electrode when the concrete heating device is embedded in conductive concrete and the power source applies a voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode.

Embodiments include systems and methods for heating materials, including heating materials for cooking and soldering. A representative system and method for cooking food includes passing electric current through the food, sensing a characteristic of the food, and modulating the electric current in response to the characteristic of the food to achieve a selected internal temperature of the food. The system and method can include searing the food with hot oil or photons directed at the surface of the food. A representative system and method for heating a material includes modulating a plurality of semiconductor light sources to emit photons toward the material, measuring a temperature of the material, and modulating the plurality of semiconductor light sources in response to the temperature of the material. The material can include solder and the method can include heating solder in a reflow soldering process.

A skin effect heating system for long pipelines includes a heater cable disposed in a ferromagnetic or other conductive heat tube, the heater cable and heat tube cooperating to produce heat that is applied to the carrier pipe. The heater cable includes a conductor surrounded by an insulating layer, and then a semiconductive outer layer or “jacket.” The semiconductive jacket contacts the inner surface of the heat tube, where the charge density of the return current carried by the heat tube is at its highest. The semiconductive jacket material has a resistivity that is sufficiently low to reduce or eliminate arcing events such as corona discharge by allowing accumulated charge on the heat tube to dissipate. The resistivity is also high enough to prevent the return current from flowing into or through the semiconductive outer layer, so that heat production capacity of the system is maximized.

A heating device capable of heating a processing liquid stably and efficiently is provided. The heating device comprises a first unit heater including a first flow path, a second unit heater including a second flow path, and a first tube connecting the first unit heater and the second unit heater, wherein a processing liquid flows through the first flow path, the first tube, and the second flow path, and is heated by the first unit heater and the second unit heater, wherein the first unit heater comprises a first pipe extending along a first direction and including the first flow path formed therein along the first direction, a first input terminal formed on a surface of the first pipe and extending in the first direction, a first output terminal formed on a surface of the first pipe, extending in the first direction, and spaced apart from the first input terminal, a plurality of first heating wires spaced apart from each other, formed on a surface of the first pipe, and connecting the first input terminal and the first output terminal.