Electrical & mechanical design Engineers have been using “Positive Temperature Coefficient” heaters in the equipment for years. They recognize the unique properties of the PTC heaters that make them more reliable, safer, cost-effective than traditional resistance wire-type heaters. Consider the PTC heaters compared to resistant heaters as LED light bulbs are to incandescent bulbs. They have comparable lower energy costs and longer life.
If a material exhibits a positive temperature coefficient means that as its temperature increases its resistance to current raises proportionately. Initially, the current through these devices will rise sharply with the low resistance but then decrease to zero when the design temperature is reached. During manufacturing these devices are made to reach a specific temperature.
Typical heating elements that use a resistance wire to generate heat, PTC heating elements are made as ceramic stones, doped with barium titanate. These manufactured ceramic stones have very unique characteristics as semiconductors whose properties can be precisely determined during their design and manufacture. PTC devices do not burn oxygen making them safer to use in controlled environments. This also makes them more energy efficient.
PTC Heaters cannot overheat. These unique factors make the devices self-limiting when their resistance increases the current through the device decreases. They can also be considered self-controlling. If the ambient temperature starts to decrease, the heater's resistance will decrease drawing more current and countering the cooling tendency. Conversely, any tendency to increase its temperature has the opposite effect. Convection heaters do not have these characteristics.
The PTC ceramics can be manufactured to have different fixed temperatures at which this dramatic resistance change takes place. This temperature point is called the Curie point of the PTC heater. This point is the temperature control for the heater.
DBK’s line of products incorporates many of these characteristics into standardized off-the-shelf selections of shapes, sizes, and wattage.
couple the devices with fans to better direct the heat within enclosures.
leverage heat exchanging fin structures to distribute the heat evenly without fans or other moving parts.
are embedded in silicone creating excellent heat transfer characteristics and high thermal efficiency.
utilize aluminum housings for highly effective heat transfer to flat surfaces.
are designed with finned resistor heating elements that ensure balanced heat transfer with low airflows.
are designed to control the relative humidity inside electronic enclosures.
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