
Re: Heat generated from a resistive load
Pj wrote:
> Does anyone happen to know of a chart, or a method to calculate the
> approximate heat generated from a near pure resistive load across a
> 110V AC line? Say I have a 5K 10 watt low inductance wire wound
> resistor and I have this in a tightly closed insulated container; how
> much heat could I expect to be generated in K, C or F degrees?
>
You need to learn a bit of thermodynamics.
The _generated_ heat depends on the power and the time; the power in
turn depends on the voltage and resistance: P = E^2/R (about 2-1/2
watts, in your case, except that you should design for a range of line
voltages from 100 to 125, or even 90 to 135 if you want to be
conservative). The power rating of the resistor doesn't determine the
power consumed, it only determines whether the resistor will survive the
experience, and then only if the resistor is getting sufficient
environmental cooling.
The ultimate _temperature_ inside your box depends on the amount of
insulation and the temperature outside the box. Generally you find the
thermal resistance of your assembly (i.e. so many degrees C rise/watt),
multiply it by your power, and add that to the ambient temperature of
the box.
The time-dependent temperature characteristics of the box are more
complex, but they more or less depend on the thermal mass that you're
heating, and the power.
Your thermal resistance will vary greatly. In theory, if your thermal
resistance were infinite your temperature inside the box would continue
to grow for as long as you applied power to the resistor. In practice
you'll find that it's hard to get high electrical conductivity and low
thermal conductivity -- most good electrical conductors are good thermal
conductors, and visa versa.
--
Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.comDo you need to implement control loops in software?
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