If you have ever wanted to learn more about power resistors, it all begins with knowing that they are some passive components that contain two terminals. High power resistors may look simple from the way they look, but you would know they are complicated when time to select the best comes. The specifications of these components would determine the ones you would buy and those you would have to do away with.
You need to discover that you can use the power resistors for various functions based on the electrical needs you have. You may have thought that these power resistors are only good for limiting voltages, but you may also use them to keep the current limited. Other people also use these power resistors to regulate rhythms, attenuate signals, and bleed capacitor.
Choosing the right power resistors is easy after you have selected the right resistance values, which is a necessary thing to do. You shouldn’t be among the people who don’t give power rating more attention when buying power resistors since this would cost you afterward. Some power resistors aren’t able to handle certain dissipation levels, and most of the people who experience this challenge are those who don’t read the gadget’s specifications.
Pulse loads matter a lot when buying power resistors, but it’s unfortunate that most people don’t give it much attention. Always ensure the power resistors you choose have pulse performance that is specified before you take them home especially if you want to use them for a sensitive application. The average power of the power resistors won’t be within their power rating is certain aspects such as duty cycles and pulse levels aren’t measured.
Some people see their power resistors experiencing some changes and wonder why this happens, but they hardly know that it comes from the external heating or even self-heating. It’s crucial to ensure the power resistors you buy would show accurate voltage readings since this is more important than even their price. One thing an expert in resistors would advise you to do when looking for power resistors is prioritizing those known to have low TCR.
Now that most of the power resistors are self-heating, you need to think about some of the techniques you would use to allow cooling. Most people use passive convection to achieve the cooling effect, and forced air is occasionally used. Mind about the efficiency of the path the power resistors would use to pass through the cooling air. If the power resistors you get depend on the current levels and power, they may fail when unexpected.