Re: Microwave Heaters

[Schoenhofer <schoenho@via.at>]

At 17:03 06.03.97 -0600, you wrote:
>Regarding the recent posting of an article in Popular Science
>advocating the use of microwaves in place of regular furnaces for
>keeping people warm, did anyone consider the possibility of metal
>(wedding rings, furniture, window blinds, etc.) rectifying the RF
>energy back into electrical energy and creating a spark that sets
>off a fire?  Eyeglasses that zap a cornea or two?  Is the current
>crop of pacemakers immune to direct irradiation as opposed to stray
>stuff?
>
>     Are microwaves safe for long term exposure to corneas?
>
>     What safeguards would there be to prevent the exposure rate
>from accidentally increasing to 1,000's of mW/cm-2 in case of a
>malfunction?
>
>     What about pets?  Fish in a tank in a continuously occupied
>room?
>
>     What about moisture in, say, wood furniture, absorbing enough
>energy to boil and explode?
>
>     This sounds like a crazy idea to me.
>**********************************************************************
>William G. Nabor
>University of California, Irvine
>EH&S Office
>Irvine, CA,  92697-2725
>WGNABOR@UCI.EDU
>**********************************************************************
>

It sounds like a crazy idea to me too. 

I remember very well, that there were once ideas of heating rooms by
infrared radiation. It must have been at least 35, rather 40 years ago, that
I observed at an exhibition a revolutionary concept using infrared
radiation. I remember that I was in a room, which was heated by infrared
panels (?) on the wall. 

I have never heard anything about this concept again. Does any radsafer
remember more than I? Actually this is the old principle of a tiled stove,
isn't it?

As far as I remember very young chicken are put below infrared lamps to warm
them.

Franz
Schoenhofer
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