Electroheat for industry

The paper is an edited version of the author´s Hunter Memorial lecture. After a summary of electroheat applications, showing its wide range and disparate nature, it is argued that there will have to be a five-fold increase in electroheat in Britain (and other industrial countries) in the next decade, and the scope for this expansion is examined. Imaginative UK Government help is essential to ensure that the manufactured equipment is available to meet this need. The problems of electroheat expansion are discussed. The lack of engineers trained in utilisation of electrical energy is part of this problem. The paper concludes that there is an urgent need for this to be remedied, both at professional and technician levels, together with an expansion in electroheat research. Similarly, training in this field, in co-operation with users, is vital.