Skin effect pipe heating system utilizing convective and conductive heat transfer

Claim 1

A heat generating system for mounting on the wall of a pipe, said system having a heat generator structure utilizing skin effect alternating current and including a ferromagnetic, elongate hollow element and an insulated conductor freely movable for expansion within said hollow element, the inner surfaces of said element defining an air space at least partially surrounding said conductor, said conductor being connected at one end to one pole of a source of alternating current, the other end of the conductor being connected to a far end of said hollow element, and a near end of the hollow element being connected to another pole of the alternating current source, said hollow element comprising two parts with one part defining an elongated open face channel having two elongated, coextensive, spaced longitudinal edges, the other part being the portion of the wall of said pipe confronting said one part and bounded by said longitudinal edges, means securing said other part in spaced relationship to said longitudinal edges so as to provide openings between said other part and said longitudinal edges of said one part along the length of said hollow element for enabling substantial transverse air flow freely therethrough across said conductor and internal surfaces of said hollow element with resultant convection heating air flow of said generated heat, and said two parts being of such thickness that said alternating current is confined along the inner surface portion of said hollow element when said conductor and hollow element are energized by said source.