Since 1990, Vulcan Catalytic Systems, Ltd. has designed, manufactured, and marketed high quality industrial heating equipment.
Located on Aquidneck Island in the Portsmouth Business Park in Portsmouth, RI, Vulcan, a leader in the development of infrared technology continues to engineer and manufacture gas catalytic infrared heaters, oven systems and controls for the process heating industry.
PLC Operator Interface
Flameless Catalytic heating which has brought energy cost savings to
numerous thermo formers and paint finishers, now has a well proven method
of control - Gas Pulse System (GPS).
The GPS unit is simple, cost effective and offers the option of
multi zone configuration, permitting accurate and repeatable heating profiles
for the catalytic heating system. Vulcan has pioneered Gas Pulse Technology,
having installed many hundreds in both the finishing and thermo forming industries
to control catalytic heaters. Typical gas industrial control valves, are totally
unsuitable for controlling catalytic heaters. GPS has been proven to save gas
consumption over other industry control valves.
Catalytic Oven Applications
Control of the GPS is via one of two operator control types. For systems with less than five control zones, a simple percentage timer may be used. For systems with a greater number of zones, a PLC based control with an intuitive operator interface, offers the customer the best solution for multi zone systems, with recipe storage, system diagnostics functions and global increase / decrease of any heating profile.
Gas Pulse
Gas pulse technology uses electrically actuated solenoid valves, to cycle the gas supply between flow rates of 100% and 20%. Longevity and reliability have been the hallmarks for this technology, and synchronizes very well with the mechanics of the flameless oxidation process within Vulcan's patented catalytic heaters. By alternating between the high and low flow rates, the entire depth of catalyst is used, ensuring an even heat distribution across entire heater face at all percentage settings.
Percentage Timer Dial
Control of the GPS is via one of two operator control types. For systems with less than five control zones, a simple percentage timer may be used.
Control Panel
A Vulcan Catalytic heating system is controlled with state-of-the-art UL approved controls, which incorporate our unique gas pulse technology (GPS). Proved and tested for many years GPS is the most economical method of providing multi zone capability for catalytic ovens via PLC based controls. GPS carefully meters precise volume pulses of gas, ensuring ideal temperature settings while allowing for multi zoned heating arrays. The Vulcan Gas Pulse System incorporates a recipe-based menu which interfaces with digital output cards. Operators call up the recipe on the touch-sensitive PLC screen and the system automatically sets the control using the Gas Pulse System.
Catalytic Heater
When the catalytic heater is turned on the catalyst is preheated with a tubular electric heating element for approximately 15 minutes. Once the catalyst has reached 300°F, safety devices are activated allowing gas to enter the back of the heater. The gas intermingles with the hot platinum catalyst and oxygen present in the surrounding air, starting an oxidation reduction reaction. This raises the catalyst temperature to between 350°F and 900°F, at the same time releasing water vapor and carbon dioxide. Efficiency tests have established that up to 80% of the gas is converted into infrared heat. Since the reaction temperature is well below the auto-ignition temperature for natural gas (1300°F), the reaction is flameless. The catalytic reaction is fully established five minutes after the gas enters the heater, and the pre heater is turned off.
PLC Operator Interface
Flameless Catalytic heating which has brought energy cost savings to numerous thermo
formers and paint finishers, now has a well proven method of control - Gas Pulse System (GPS).
The GPS unit is simple, cost effective and offers the option of multi zone
configuration, permitting accurate and repeatable heating profiles for the catalytic
heating system. Vulcan has pioneered Gas Pulse Technology, having installed many hundreds
in both the finishing and thermo forming industries to control catalytic heaters. Typical
gas industrial control valves, are totally unsuitable for controlling catalytic heaters.
GPS has been proven to save gas consumption over other industry control valves.
