An
electric heating system for heating a fluid
stream, the
system comprising: a housing having an inlet for a fluid
stream to be heated by the
electric heating system and an outlet for a fluid
stream heated by the
electric heating system; and a resistance heater mounted within the housing, the resistance heater comprising: a
fluid input and a
fluid output fluidly coupled to the inlet and outlet, respectively; a plurality of annular walls constructed from an
electrically conductive material, the walls nested to define a plurality of annular flow channels arranged concentrically in series about a longitudinal axis, the walls extending between first and second opposite ends of the resistance heater spaced apart from one another along the longitudinal axis; and first and second electrical terminals for connecting to a source of electrical energy to heat the walls of the resistance heater, the first and second electrical terminals electrically connected to respective first and second walls comprising an outer pair of walls adjacent to one another and positioned radially outward of the resistance heater. The plurality of annular walls are mechanically connected to one another, whereby adjacent flow channels have opposite fluid flow directions and are connected at adjacent ends of each channel to define an alternating serpentine flow path, the serpentine flow path having an input end at a
fluid input and an output end at a
fluid output, the input end and output end being located at radially outer and inner positions, respectively, relative to the longitudinal axis. The plurality of annular walls are electrically connected to one another to define a continuous conductive path extending between first and second electrical terminals, the conductive path having a first portion extending from the first wall to a center of the resistive heater and a second portion extending from the center of the resistive heater to the second wall. A method of generating a high temperature fluid flow using an electrical
heating system is also disclosed.