-1

How can I work out what voltage and amps are required to heat nichrome to:

Temperature: 220 F Length: 100 cm Gauge: 20 (0.85 mm diameter, 1.62 ohms per meter)

I think I need 7 volts and 3 amps.

I have a lab power supply that is 15 volts and 40 amps.

JRE
  • 71,321
  • 10
  • 107
  • 188
Tom Han
  • 1
  • 1
  • 2

1 Answers1

1

Work it out from the wire on a 1kW heating element in an electric fire. Measure the resistance, and use the mains voltage to get the current flow. That current will make any length of similar diameter nichrome glow red hot.

Or, in round numbers, if you have 110VAC creating 1kW heat that gives you about 10A

Dirk Bruere
  • 13,723
  • 9
  • 54
  • 115
  • 2
    Wikipedia has a nice table with current vs temperature in a straight wire for different wire gauges. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nichrome – Peter Karlsen Nov 13 '18 at 11:02
  • The OP didn't ask for "red hot", they asked for 220F. – Elliot Alderson Nov 13 '18 at 16:45
  • 1
    @PeterKarlsen In which case they have an upper limit for current to play with. All they need is to measure the temperature with (say) a cheap IR thermometer. Main thing is that it is current they should be watching primarily, not voltage – Dirk Bruere Nov 13 '18 at 16:54