Microwave Boiler

[bsr]

More an engineering question than a heat one...

As you'll see here the national press have picked up on a company offering microwave boilers:
https://www.theguardian.com/environ...-powered-home-boiler-could-help-cut-emissions

None of the articles, or the company website, explain why a microwave boiler would be any better than one with a traditional resistive heater like this:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/strom-sbsp11s-single-phase-electric-system-boiler/788hr

Any ideas why microwave heating might be better? I can't see that anything can be more efficient than an immersed resistive heater.

bsr

 

[JohnD]

Any ideas why microwave heating might be better?

"better?"

perhaps somebody, maybe the source for the article, stands to make money out of it?

The article begins:

"The creators of the world’s first microwave-powered boiler have said it can provide a straightforward, zero-emissions replacement for the gas boilers that heat most homes in the UK."

perhaps their science correspondent had the day off.

 

[vxxbcks]

Resistive element is 100% efficient at point of use and has a power factor of 1. Except by adding an external heat source, ie a heat pump, those numbers cannot be bettered.

 

[dilalio]

those numbers cannot be bettered

The CoP can be though!

 

[sxturbo]

Resistive element is 100% efficient at point of use and has a power factor of 1. Except by adding an external heat source, ie a heat pump, those numbers cannot be bettered.

Our generator resistive load bank at work does a wonderful job of heating the workshop up, 600kw when on max, but even on 200kw it makes the place super toasty... The diesel used to run it though isn't very efficient lol

 

[bernardgreen]

Several applications for patents for "micro-wave" water heating have been submitted as far back as the 1990's ( and maybe even earlier )

https://www.freepatentsonline.com/5387780.html for example