Prestyl Infrared Heating Panels:
What’s the Difference?
Carbon-based technologies, as used by many infrared panel manufacturers, are prone to causing fires; carbon is an NTC material (Negative Temperature Coefficient). When a portion of the carbon is covered (planter, furniture, etc.) the covered area starts to heat up; when a NTC material heats up the resistance goes down and more heat is generated. As more heat is generated the cycle continues until a fire results.
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Prestyl is made from a hybrid aluminum alloy, which is PTC-based (Positive Temperature Coefficient); when it heats up, the resistance goes up and the power is reduced. The hybrid PTC material is self-regulating.
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When it is cold (and the system is started up at low temperatures), carbon film will not heat up; the resistance is very high and the energy applied may not be enough to overcome the heat-losses at this cold temperature
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Prestyl was designed to deice aircraft wings; it will start up at -70 degrees C
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Unless a sophisticated control system is implemented, PTC (or Prestyl) type heating saves energy over NTC (carbon-based) systems since carbon cannot regulate itself, thus burning unnecessary energy.
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Heating in the floor (regardless of source) can yield no more than a 50% of “ usable heat” (50% is in the form of radiation and conduction within the floor’s top surface, the other 50% convection and undesired conduction)
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Prestyl’s heating panels on the ceiling convert 80% of the electrical energy to usable heat (80% is effective heat radiation, 20% convection and undesired conduction)
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Panels on the walls 60% (60% is usable radiation, 40% convection and undesired conduction)
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The transfer from energy-input to radiating-surface in the Prestyl panels is very high (98%); other technologies can be as low as 70%, reducing the energy efficiencies listed above (i.e., 0.68 x 50%, 0.68 x 80% and 0.68 x 60%, respectively)
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Prestyl’s life expectancy is 30-50 years; carbon will last 2-10 years depending on operating temperature
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Prestyl’s warranty is 5 years; most competitors’ (if they stay in business) 1-2 years.
–from the office of Prestyl USA CTO (chief technical officer).
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