Electrical Heating

[pbhuter]

I'm looking for an equation that will give me the temperature of a heating element if I know the following:

- resistivity (in ohms mm^2/m)
- length (in meters)
- cross-sectional area (in meters or mm)
- power applied (in watts)

Do I need anything else? I'm trying to build a computer model. Thanks.

 

[pbhuter]

I'm not in school at this time. I'm not sure if I will be going back to school in the fall. I appreciate the help I have received so far. If I do enroll in classes in the fall, I will hunt down a thermodynamics professor and talk to them.

 

[chicopee]

You should discuss your problem with a heat transfer professor, not a thermo. one.

 

[pbhuter]

Thanks chicopee. I'll look into it if I go back to school in the fall.

 

[cloa]

I love chicopee's answer- all well thought except for that those obvious missing words- substitute understood for took and ...have NOT defined.....
"It should be a relatively easy problem if you took heat transfer, however, you have defined the problem well. For instance your OP did not state that it was ceramics you were heating; secondly you have not defined the size and position (horizontal, vertical,slanted, curved) of the ceramics; thirdly is the ceramic emitting on both sides or only one and what about the heated space or objects,what are they and how foar are they. Then you can start applyings the principles particularly those involving ratiation and convective heat transfer as aluded in the above replies."

 

[pbhuter]

chicopee and cloa -
I am heating a ceramic element that is a tube folded in half. It will be emitting on both sides, but one side will be close to a wall. I know the emissivity, the thermal conductivity, and the specific heat capacity. What additional information do I need to solve this problem? Thank you.

 

[vpl]

How is the heat being applied? How "close" is "close to a wall?"
What comprises the wall surface (standard wallboard, or is it a metallic component?)

Cloa also mentioned other factors that need to be considered.

Is it possible to provide a sketch so we're all speaking to the same problem?

Otherwise, is this something where you can build a prototype and test? Being able to input real data into a program should make it easier to model the component's behavior under other conditions.



Patricia Lougheed

******

Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of the Eng-Tips Forums.