ABSTRACT
Ample electrical power was available from the dam’s generating facility and the contractor elected to use electric infrared radiant heaters to supply heat to the dryingpolymerization enclosure. The enclosure was 15 feet (4.6 m) wide by 260 feet (79.2 m) long and consisted of a structural steel channel base which was then covered by 22 heating panel units. Each panel was 15 feet (4.6 m) long and 12 feet (3.6 m) wide and contained nine electric infrared radiant heaters rated at 7.5-kW each. The enclosure thus had a total power rating of 1,485-kW. Temperature control was by means of an interval timer for each heat panel. This timer controlled the percentage of time all the heaters in a panel received electric power during a 30-second interval. That is, the nine heaters in a panel were all on or off simultaneously for a selected percentage of each 30-second time interval during a heat cycle. A forced air ventilation system with monomer vapor sensors was installed in the enclosure to prevent development of flammable and unsafe vapor concentrations. Figure 8 shows one end of the heating enclosure.
