Wire mesh thermal radiative element and use in a radiative oven

Abstract

A high speed cooking apparatus employing a low voltage high current system for heating foods employing a novel wire mesh heating element. The system herein described providing the benefits of high speed cooking like that further described by U.S. Provisional Application 60/822,028 filed on Aug. 10, 2006, but yet providing significant cost benefit and simplicity over said system.

1 - 48 . (canceled) 
     
     
         49 . A radiant heater comprising:
 a heating element having a radiative black body area; and   a power supply to supply power to the heating element,   wherein the radiative black body area is converted to be equivalent to 0.25 m 2  and a ratio of a resistance of the heating element to the equivalent area is less than 2 ohms/m 2 .   
     
     
         50 . The radiant heater of claim  48 , wherein the radiative black body area is over 0.25 m 2 . 
     
     
         51 . The radiant heater of claim  48 , wherein the radiative black body area is less than 0.25 m 2 . 
     
     
         52 . The radiant heater of claim  48 , wherein the ratio is approximately 0.1137 ohms/m 2 . 
     
     
         53 . The radiant heater of claim  48 , wherein the heating element comprises a wire. 
     
     
         54 . The radiant heater of claim  48 , wherein the heating element has a specific heat capacity of less than 0.36 KWH of energy for raising the temperature of the heat element from room temperature to about 1400° K, wherein an equation relating a heat energy to the specific heat capacity, where the unit quantity is in terms of mass is:
   Δ Q=mcΔT  
 
 where ΔQ is the heat energy put into or taken out of the element (where P×time=ΔQ), m is the mass of the element, c is the specific heat capacity, and ΔT is the temperature differential where the initial temperature is subtracted from the final temperature. 
 
     
     
         55 . The radiant heater of claim  48 , further comprising a relay for cycling the power to the heating element, and a control circuit for controlling the relay. 
     
     
         56 . The radiant heater of claim  48 , wherein the heating element comprises multiple heating elements, the multiple heating elements share a first bus and a second bus, the first bus is in electrical communication with a positive voltage of the power supply and the second bus is in electrical communication with a negative voltage of the power supply. 
     
     
         57 . The radiant heater of claim  48 , further comprising a control circuit configured to monitor a condition of a load by measuring one or more of: a color of the load, a moisture level of a surface of the load, and a moisture level of air in the oven. 
     
     
         58 . The radiant heater of claim  48 , further comprising a heating cavity configured to receive a load to be heated, wherein the heating element is sized and positioned to heat the load. 
     
     
         59 . The radiant heater of claim  48 , wherein the power supply comprises a low voltage high current system. 
     
     
         60 . The radiant heater of claim  48 , wherein the heating element has a combined resistance of less than 10 ohms. 
     
     
         61 . The radiant heater of claim  48 , wherein the heating element comprises a wire having a thickness less than or equal to 1 mm. 
     
     
         62 . The radiant heater of claim  48 , wherein the heating element comprises a wire mesh cloth. 
     
     
         63 . A heating method comprising:
 heating a heating element; and   discharging current from a power supply through the heating element,   wherein the radiative black body area is converted to be equivalent to 0.25 m 2  and a ratio of a resistance of the heating element to the equivalent area of the heating element is less than 2 ohms/m 2 .   
     
     
         64 . The heating method of  claim 63 , wherein the radiative black body area is over 0.25 m 2 . 
     
     
         65 . The heating method of  claim 63 , wherein the radiative black body area is less than 0.25 m 2 . 
     
     
         66 . The heating method of  claim 63 , further comprising cycling the power to the heating element. 
     
     
         67 . The heating method of  claim 63 , further comprising monitoring a condition of a load by measuring one or more of: a color of the load, a moisture level of a surface of the load, and a moisture level of air in the oven. 
     
     
         68 . The heating method of  claim 63 , wherein the heating element has a combined resistance of less than 10 ohms.