Electric heating device employing PTC heating element for preheating of heating oil

Claim 1

A heating device for the preheating of heating oil in a range from 0.3 to 2.5 liters/hour which comprises: a heat conduction body having portions defining an interspace within said body; a plate-shaped ceramic PTC resistance heating element received in said interspace and providing good heat conduction from both planar surfaces of said heating element, said ceramic PTC conductor heating element having a thickness of between 0.5 and 2 mm, a Curie temperature of between 120° and 220° C., and consisting of material having a specific resistance, ρ, of 430 to 5,000 ohm-cm, as measured at a voltage between 110 and 220 volts and at the Curie temperature of said material; means for attaching said heat conduction body in heat exchange-relationship to a pipe conveying the oil to be heated; and means for connecting said element to an electrical power source having a voltage between 110 and 220 volts, whereby said heating device may be used to heat heating oil flowing in the pipe such that the maximum temperature attained by said heating element over a range of heat transfer rates from said heat conduction body is relatively constant and is determined by the resistivity and Curie temperature of the ceramic material and not by the rate of heat transfer.