Abstract: An oven compartment in an oven for subjecting items to a selected heating sequence having a compartment container with a transport opening therein to permit selectively entering such items adjacent to first plenum structure at a perforated surface to allow providing heating fluid thereon. The first plenum structure has a material mass and a specific heat such that a rate of change of temperature of that structure exceeds one degree Centigrade per second for a selected maximum temperature differential between heating fluid and any entered items positioned adjacent to the perforated surface at selected heating fluid pressures at that perforated surface. A method for heating such items with a heating fluid previously heated by a heater, to an extent determined by operating a heater control, directed onto such items is based on obtaining a control representation of a selected set of values for the heater control versus time based on a heating specification for a selected kind of item to be heated.

Abstract: An oven compartment in an oven for subjecting items to a selected heating sequence having a compartment container with a transport opening therein to permit selectively entering such items adjacent to first plenum structure at a perforated surface to allow providing heating fluid thereon. The first plenum structure has a material mass and a specific heat such that a rate of change of temperature of that structure exceeds one degree Centigrade per second for a selected maximum temperature differential between heating fluid and any entered items positioned adjacent to the perforated surface at selected heating fluid pressures at that perforated surface. A method for heating such items with a heating fluid previously heated by a heater, to an extent determined by operating a heater control, directed onto such items is based on obtaining a control representation of a selected set of values for the heater control versus time based on a heating specification for a selected kind of item to be heated.

Abstract: A pass-through convection oven having a series of gas jet distributors and an exhaust system adjacent later distributors in the series to gather gas for the initial distributors in the series. A distributor in the series is formed of a pair of plenums in series in the gas flow path with a cumulative area of the passageway between them exceeding the cumulative area of the orifice from which the gas jets are formed in that distributor.