Infrared radiation

1. Introduction to the science of infrared radiation

The Sun is the essential element of our life on the Earth. Its energy reaches the Earth by radiation. Being a huge abundant source of energy insures the two most important elements of our life, namely the sunlight and the heat of the sun.

Due to the interference of the processes going on inside the sun - the heat and the pressure - the atoms of the hydrogen gas are joined and bound in fours. They are transformed into helium gas, into the so called solar energy. Only a small proportion of the released radiation - energy reaches the Earth, the rest is absorbed by the atmosphere. Radiation has two basic physical characteristics: wave-length and frequency.

The heat of the sun is transmitted to the Earth by the infrared rays. Infrared radiation can pass through the air almost without any loss of energy and heats the objects it meets. It is a good example if you think about the summer skies. When it gets cloudy you feel cold in the shade of the clouds while the temperature of the air does not change only the infrared rays do not reach us because of the clouds.

2. The effect of the infrared radiation on the human organism

Heat is indispensable to the human organism. The temperature of the human body is 36,5°C on the average. Further heating, even if it is only 1 or 2 degrees, has extraordinary beneficial results. Blood supply increases. The sweating of the body increases due to the acceleration of metabolism and secretion processes, by this means releases chemicals from the cells, excessive acidification decreases. The increase of the warmth of the body mobilizes the white blood cells, protective substances and mechanisms, activates the immune system, the protective and the self-curing powers increase.

The curing effect of heat was discovered by humanity many centuries ago. At first, they used heated stones, bricks, different earthenware dishes, later electric heating pillows, etc. as heating devices. Healing heat was used and is being used nowadays as well to cure rheumatism and arthritis, also to reduce pain caused by sciatic neuritis.

Every body that radiates heat regardless of being a living organism or any artificially manufactured source of heat can only do it through infrared radiation. The different bodies transmit their heat on different wave-length. Human body also produces heat and radiates it to its environment. Radiation of heat from the human body is reached at 8-11 µm wave-length. This is called the self-radiation of the human organism. Researches carried out by Chinese scientists, by researchers of the NASA in the USA and the results of their researches clearly show that 8-11 µm infrared radiation is the most efficient healing mode for the human organism.

This invisible radiation penetrates deeply into the human body, is absorbed and induces a beneficial thermal effect. As a result, the heart-beat and the pulse rate grow, the "cooling system" of the human body gets activated and sweating starts. The human body needs to burn 300 kcal in order to produce approximately 1/2 litre of sweat. This amount of energy is approximately consumed by running a 3,5-5 km distance.

Walking: 200 kcal/h Running, jogging: 400 kcal/h Biking: 300 kcal/h Tennis: 330 kcal/h Squash: 680 kcal/h Swimming: 400 kcal/h Rowing: 800 kcal/h

Medical researches and non-medical practitioners have proved that you don't necessarily have to practice a sport in order to stay fit. Besides it would be difficult at an older age or for those struggling with articular, back and lower back pain. You can achieve fitness, good disposition and good physical condition by burning an extra 1000 kcal a week regardless of the way you do it.

3. Infrared radiation for medical purposes

The curing effect of heat is widely used in therapeutics, natural healing and traditional medicine in our modern world. Traditional medicine uses heat most efficiently for the treatment of rheumatic pains, muscle and articular diseases, spine aches (back and lower backaches, lumbago, sciatic neuritis, Bechterev disease, stiff neck), articular lesion, contracture, thigh-joint and knee joint problems, chill and allergy symptoms, cold, accessory cavity and other kinds of inflammation, respiratory diseases, bronchial asthma and chronic bronchitis.

Natural healing uses heat to release chemicals from the human organism and for detoxication. As a result of the releasing of chemicals from the human organism the painful lesions of the organs of locomotion, muscles, ligaments and connective tissues are reduced. As a result of the heat accumulated chemicals in the human organism are reduced and also the chronic morbidity rate which usually increases together with aging.

4. Artificially manufactured infrared radiation and its effects, characteristics

The types and characteristics of the natural and the artificially manufactured infrared radiation are the same. Nevertheless there is a huge difference between the natural and the artificial radiation. While the wave-length, energy level and "validity" of the natural radiation cannot be influenced and can be enjoyed only during the day, the wave-length, energy level and use of the artificial infrared radiation depend on the technical devices used and the aim you want to achieve.

Infrared elements were mainly developed for industrial purposes, surface heating of solids and for drying tasks. The main characteristics of such industrial heaters were the high surface temperatures (400-800-1800°C). Their wave-length is between 1,6-3,9 µm and their energy density on the surface of the heaters is between 1,2-7,5 W/cm2.

One of the common characteristics of infrared radiation is that the effect of the radiation weakens in direct proportion with the square distance. Meaning that the farther the radiated body from the source radiation is, the weaker the effect of the radiation is. Another characteristic is that the infrared rays do not heat the air only the objects they reach. Part of the infrared radiation is absorbed and transformed into heat by the radiated body depending on its features, the other part is reflected or progresses through the body.

The wave-length of radiation can easily be calculated with the help of Wien's displacement law if the surface temperature of the radiant body is known. According to this, the wave-length of radiation is the following:

For example, the average temperature of the human body is 36,5°C, so the wave-length of its radiation is:

Due to the researches and technical developments done in the USA and the Far East, there appeared the infrared panel heaters which can be efficiently used, without having side-effects, in therapeutics, natural healing and cosmetics. The main characteristics of these panels are the low surface temperatures (60-120°C) and the long-wave (2-25 µm) infrared radiation.

These infrared rays are invisible and totally absorbed by the human organism. They penetrate deeply into the skin, where they turn into heat-energy and are distributed in the whole body by the bloodstream, producing a nice feeling of hot.

The OZSP infrared panel heater is a type which was exclusively developed to "heat" the human body. Its big surface enables the evenly spatial distribution of heat. Its surface temperature is 80-100°C, the wavelength of the radiation is 7-10 µm, which is identical with the radiation wavelength of the human body.