An apparatus for heating powder particles, contains a radiation source (1), a housing (2) and a screen (4). The radiation source (1) has its maximum radiative power in the wavelength range of 0.78-2.5 m. The screen (4) has an absorbance of at least 0.8 in the wavelength range of 0.78-2.5 m.

An example heating apparatus comprises a light emitting diode (LED) array comprising at least one LED to heat a target object. The heating apparatus further comprises a heatsink thermally coupled to the LED array to dissipate heat from the LED array. The heatsink comprises a refrigerant path including an input to and an output from the refrigerant path to pass cooled refrigerant therethrough.

A method for producing a heating filament made of a composite material and having a longitudinal axis is provided. Carbon fibers are embedded in a matrix made of carbon and a planar structure is prepared that contains carbon fibers in a textile bond. The planar structure is impregnated with thermoplastic material, and then the impregnated planar structure is carbonized in a protective gas or vacuum while forming the composite material. The planar structure is prepared from a fiber composite material, in which plastic threads made of the thermoplastic material are incorporated into the textile bond of the planar structure. The resulting carbon heating filament provides for the smallest possible material loss in the cutting process from a large surface area, namely to form a strip-shaped semi-finished product. Also, the resulting carbon heating filament filament has a high specific electrical resistance and is distinguished by high mechanical stability.

An atmosphere of ammonia that absorbs infrared light in a wavelength band overlapping with the measurement wavelength band of a radiation thermometer is formed in a chamber in which a semiconductor wafer is thermally treated. A filter that selectively transmits infrared light having a wavelength not overlapping with the absorption wavelength band of ammonia is installed between an optical lens system and a detector of the radiation thermometer to avoid influence of the infrared light absorption by ammonia. A conversion table corresponding to the installed filter is selected from a plurality of conversion tables representing a correlation between energy of infrared light incident on the radiation thermometer and temperature of a black body, and is used at the radiation thermometer. Accordingly, the temperature of the semiconductor wafer can be accurately measured in the atmosphere of ammonia.

A cordless heating tool, including a housing, a battery coupled to the housing, a heat source, a control circuit for controlling power of the heat source, one or more reflectors mounted on the housing to focus radiant energy from the heat source toward a focal region, an opening in the housing for receiving an object to be heated in the focal region.

Systems and methods are provided for controlling infrared radiation (IR) sources of a sauna including tuning IR wavelength-ranges and radiated power-levels of IR sources, and directing IR to locations on a user's body. In one illustrative embodiment, a sauna may be provided having adjustable heat sources to emit IR at any wavelength resulting in a desirable radiation treatment for the sauna user. In another illustrative embodiment, a method is provided for tuning IR sources in a sauna.

Provided is a far-infrared radiation multi-stage type heating furnace for steel sheets for hot stamping, the furnace including far-infrared radiation heaters having flexibility that are prevented from deflecting even during heating at temperatures ranging from the Ac.sub.3 transformation temperature to 950 C. The far-infrared radiation multi-stage type heating furnace includes: multiple-staged heating units that accommodate steel sheets for hot stamping, each heating unit formed by thermal insulation materials disposed around the periphery; and far-infrared radiation heaters positioned above and below the heating units. A far-infrared radiation heater (14-1) is received by a plurality of first metal strips (26) so as to be disposed approximately horizontally. The plurality of first metal strips (26) are disposed so that their strong axis direction approximately corresponds to the direction of gravity and supported by support pieces (27) so as to be expandable and contractible in a longitudinal direction by thermal expansion or thermal contraction. The support pieces (27) are disposed outside the thermal insulation materials in the heating units and a ceiling unit.

An object of the present invention is to stably support steel sheets for hot stamping accommodated in a far-infrared radiation multi-stage type heating furnace over a long period of time using steel sheet support members having a small projected area and inhibited from thermally deforming. The far-infrared radiation multi-stage type heating furnace of the present invention includes: heating units and a ceiling unit arranged in a vertical direction with multiple stages to accommodate steel sheets for hot stamping that are aluminum-coated steel sheets or zinc-coated steel sheets; and far-infrared radiation heaters disposed within the heating units and the ceiling unit to heat the steel sheets for hot stamping to a temperature ranging from the Ac.sub.3 transformation temperature to 950 C. Steel sheet support members are mounted to the heating units to support the steel sheets for hot stamping by point contact or line contact with the steel sheets for hot stamping. The steel sheet support members are supported so as to be expandable and contractible in a longitudinal direction by thermal expansion or thermal contraction.

An infrared light source includes a resistor formed on the side of one principal surface of a support substrate via an insulating film; a plurality of projections formed on the one principal surface side of the support substrate by etching the support substrate; and a protection film stacked as a layer on top of the resistor and projections. The resistor is disposed on the same plane in a region which forms an infrared emission portion in which the plurality of projections and the resistor are formed, and infrared is efficiently emitted from the region in which are formed the projections by heat generated by energizing the resistor.

A cordless heating tool, including a housing, a battery coupled to the housing, a heat source, a control circuit for controlling power of the heat source, one or more reflectors mounted on the housing to focus radiant energy from the heat source toward a focal region, an opening in the housing for receiving an object to be heated in the focal region.