50 Years of Catalytic Infrared Expertise

At the heart of CDT’s drying systems are the Bruest Catalytic Infrared Heaters. For more than 50 years, Bruest Catalytic Heaters have provided safe and effective heating solutions for energy and industrial solutions. The Bruest catalytic heaters are natural gas or LPG fueled heaters which utilize a catalyst to assist the combustion (a oxidation-reduction chemical process) of the fuel gas. With the use of a catalyst, the gas combustion reaction occurs at a temperature below the auto-ignition temperature of the fuel. By lowering the combustion process temperature, the catalytic heater becomes safer to operate than a traditional burner.

Critical to this process is that the bulk of the radiant energy bandwidth generated is in the "far infrared" range, with wavelengths of 3 to 7 microns. Water readily absorbs infrared radiant energy at 3, 4.5 and 6 microns wavelength. The energy delivered by CDT's flameless catalytic infrared system perfectly targets the moisture in the substrate.

Gone are the detrimental effects of convection heating (skinning over, high air velocities, high heat differentials in the product). Gone are the moisture gradients and slow drying times associated with conduction heating. The more moisture at a point in the product, the greater the absorption of infrared energy. This reduces stresses and improves both drying times and drying uniformity.

Highly efficient and tightly-controlled infrared radiant energy is delivered to the product as it travels along a purpose-built conveyor engineered to uniformly expose the product to the radiant energy.

How Does A Catalytic Heater Work?

STage 1

The heater is started with electric power before the fuel gas is introduced.

Stage 2

Once the fuel gas is introduced, the heater begins to generate invisible infrared heat, shown as the red curved lines above.

Stage 3

The infrared energy hits the plant, where the water in the plant absorbs the energy and begins to get hot.

Stage 4

The water is boiled off and evaporates from the plant.

Stage 5

The infrared energy is also absorbed by water in insects and molds that may be present on the plant. It kills without harming the plant.