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 method of forming a component includes providing a work-piece blank from a formable material. The method also includes engaging the work-piece blank with a transfer device. The method additionally includes austenitizing the work-piece blank in the transfer device via heating the blank to achieve austenite microstructure therein. The method also includes transferring the austenitized blank to a forming press using the transfer device. The method additionally includes forming the component via the forming press from the austenitized blank and quenching the formed component. A work-piece blank transfer system includes a transfer device having clamping arm(s) for engaging, holding, transferring, and releasing the work-piece blank. The transfer device also includes a heating element configured to austenitize the work-piece blank via heating the blank to achieve austenite microstructure therein. The transfer system additionally includes an electronic controller programmed to regulate the heating element and the clamping arm(s).

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.

A heating system for semi-finished metal products is provided. The heating system has a heating group having a positive contact and a negative contact, suitable for being connected to a semi-finished metal product to determine a current flow in the semi-finished metal product during a heating step. A power supply group, connectable to a power supply grid, has at least a first thyristor power controller, a second thyristor power controller and a third thyristor power controller. An input transformer has a primary input transformer side connectable to the power supply grid and a secondary input transformer side connected to the first, second, and third thyristor power controllers. An adaptation apparatus has an adaptation transformer connected in cascade to the first, second, and third thyristor power controllers and an AC-DC converter for converting alternating current from the adaptation transformer into direct current to be supplied between the positive and negative contacts.

Systems and methods for flash joule heating carbon with variable frequency drives, for the production of graphene. The system includes a flash joule heating system, and a variable frequency drive system for driving the flash joule heating system, wherein the variable frequency drive system is coupled to the flash joule heating system, and is configured to output a pulse-width modulated current. The system and methods may further include sample temperature feedback, to adjust the output of variable frequency drive system.

A liquid heater is described including a chamber for receiving a liquid, pairs of electrodes located within the chamber for applying electric current to the liquid, input terminals for connection to a power supply, a plurality of bridge arms connected in parallel to the input terminals, and a control unit for controlling switches of the bridge arms. The plurality of bridge arms include a respective bridge arm for each pair of electrodes and a common bridge arm, and each bridge arm includes a pair of switches and a node located between the switches. A first electrode of each pair of electrodes is connected to the node of the respective bridge arm, and a second electrode is connected to the node of the common bridge arm. The switches have a plurality of different states for selectively connecting pairs of electrodes to the input terminals in one of a plurality of electrode configurations, the electrodes having a different total electrical resistance in each electrode configuration.

The present invention relates to a method for detecting overheating of an electrical heating device comprising a plurality of resistive elements configured to be supplied electrically using a control signal by pulse width modulation according to a setpoint, comprising the following steps:—detecting the setpoint,—detecting the duty cycle (PWM_system; PWM_subsystem),—defining a threshold value for detecting the duty cycle according to the setpoint, or a value of at least one parameter for monitoring an incidence of overheating—comparing the detected duty cycle value with the detection threshold value, and—detecting an incidence of overheating when the detected duty cycle value reaches the detection threshold value. The invention also relates to a corresponding control unit.

A subsea direct electrical heating power supply system includes at least one input device adapted to couple the direct electrical heating power supply system to a power supply and a subsea variable speed drive, for receiving electrical power from the at least one input device and for providing an AC output, including a plurality of series-connected power cells. Each power cell includes an inverter and a bypass device to selectively bypass the power cell. The system further includes an adjustable subsea capacitor connected to the AC output of the subsea variable speed drive; an output device adapted to couple the direct electrical heating power supply system to a subsea pipeline section; and a controller, adapted to adjust the capacitance of the adjustable subsea capacitor such that upon the system output voltage being reduced, the current output by the direct electrical heating power supply system is increased.

A material-removing heater device including: a first terminal portion defining a first electrode; a second terminal portion defining a second electrode; and a heating portion which connects the first terminal portion to the second terminal portion, the heating portion heatable by a flow of electrical current from the first terminal portion to the second terminal portion to remove a portion of material of a display device. The heating portion defines a lower end surface of the material-removing heater device at which the material-removing heater device contacts the material of the display device, the heating portion disposes the lower end surface to have a concave shape, and the heating portion which is heated deforms the lower end surface from the concave shape to have a planar shape.

The invention relates to a special electrode arrangement for the targeted ohmic heating of different products, media or structures that are electrically conductive or contain electrically conductive constituents and have an inorganic or organic basis, including products of plant or animal origin, consisting of at least one electrode group comprising a plurality of individual electrodes. According to the invention, the individual electrodes are arranged at a distance apart from one another in an insulating carrier and, with the exception of an electrode surface region, are insulated from the product to be treated or the structure to be treated.