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Nichrome Dew Heater Calculator

The document provides instructions for designing a nichrome wire dew heater band for an OTA circumference of 29cm that outputs 0.3W per cm. It calculates that 4 turns of nichrome wire with a resistance of 11.72 ohms per meter would be ideal in a series circuit. Alternatively, a parallel circuit with 4 runs of nichrome wire at 187.5 ohms per meter could be used. It outlines steps to design the band based on measured nichrome wire resistance, and to check the final band's resistance and current draw before use.

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darklife79
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267 views2 pages

Nichrome Dew Heater Calculator

The document provides instructions for designing a nichrome wire dew heater band for an OTA circumference of 29cm that outputs 0.3W per cm. It calculates that 4 turns of nichrome wire with a resistance of 11.72 ohms per meter would be ideal in a series circuit. Alternatively, a parallel circuit with 4 runs of nichrome wire at 187.5 ohms per meter could be used. It outlines steps to design the band based on measured nichrome wire resistance, and to check the final band's resistance and current draw before use.

Uploaded by

darklife79
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as XLSX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Step 1: Find the Ideal Nichrome Wire

OTA Circumference: 29.00 cm


Overlap Required: 3.00 cm
Target Power Output (Oc): 0.30 Watts per cm
Power Supply Voltage (Vs): 12.00 Volts
Length of Band (Cb): 32.00 cm
Total Power Output (Ot): 9.60 Watts
Current Drawn (Is): 0.80 Amps
Total Resistance (Rt): 15.00 Ohms
Series Circuit Results - Ideal nichrome resistance.
Nichrome Resistance (1 Turn Round OTA) (Rm): 46.88 Ohms per metre
Nichrome Resistance (2 Turns Round OTA) (Rm): 23.44 Ohms per metre
Nichrome Resistance (3 Turns Round OTA) (Rm): 15.63 Ohms per metre
User Entered Turns Round OTA (Ts): 4 Turns
Nichrome Resistance (4 Turns Round OTA) (Rm): 11.72 Ohms per metre
Parallel Circuit Results - Ideal nichrome resisistance.
Nichrome Resistance (2 Parallel Runs) (Rm): 93.75 Ohms per metre
Nichrome Resistance (3 Parallel Runs) (Rm): 140.63 Ohms per metre
User Entered Parallel Runs (Np): 4 Runs
Nichrome Resistance (4 Parallel Runs) (Rm): 187.50 Ohms per metre

To edit, use File -> Download As to save a copy in Excel format. Then create a new
Google Sheet in your own account and use File -> Import on the saved copy. Full
instructions for use at: http://www.blackwaterskies.co.uk/2013/05/making-your-
own-nichrome-dew-heater.html
Step 2: Design your Dew Heater Band
Measured Nichrome Resistance per metre (Rm): 13.00 Ohms per metre
Series Circuit Results
Total Length of Nichrome (Ws): 115.38 cm
Number of Turns Round OTA (Ts): 3.61 Turns*
increase "Overlap Required" to get a whole number of
turns.

Parallel Circuit Results


Resistance of One Nichrome Run (Rp): 4.16 Ohms
Total length of Nichrome (Wp): 8.87 cm
Number of Parallel Runs Required (Np): 0.28 Runs**

** Use series result if less than 1.5 runs, otherwise increase "Overlap Required" to get a whole
number of runs.
Step 3: Check your Band Before Use
Measured Resistance of Band (Rt): 13.69 Ohms
Measured Length of Band (Cb): 35.00 cm
Measured Power Supply Voltage (Vs): 12.00 Volts
Rated Power Supply Current: 3.00 Amps
Power Output (Oc): 0.30 Watts per cm
Current Drawn (Is): 0.88 Amps ***

*** Check that the current drawn is less than the power supply's rating. If you are using
several heater bands from one supply, just add all the current draws together. Make sure you
have a fuse rated slightly higher than the total draw between the power supply and the
heater bands, especially if you are using a battery for power.

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