Abstract: A heating element comprises a body provided by fibrous tubes of an electrically conductive material, a voidage between the tubes providing a path for a fluid to be heated. The material may be silicon, silicon carbide, or silicon rich-silicon nitride. The heating element is manufactured by coating a fibrous carbon precursor with the material, and heating the coated precursor in an oxidizing environment so as to remove the carbon precursor by oxidation. The heating element has one application for a heat transfer system for controlling the temperature of a hot working device. The system comprises a fluid circuit including the hot working device, the heating element through which the fluid is driven by a pump, and a temperature controller for sensing the temperature of the device and controlling the temperature of the heating element as a function of the device temperature.

Abstract: A method of gas ignition comprises energizing a permeable, porous electric heating element to an appropriate temperature for igniting a gas, and allowing the gas to contact the heating element.