[sdiy] help needed: thermal equations to RC networks analogy

[Magnus Danielson]

From: "Czech Martin" <Martin.Czech at Micronas.com>
Subject: RE: [sdiy] help needed: thermal equations to RC networks analogy
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 16:30:18 +0100

> Perhaps I should be more precise:
> 
> I want to model a heat source (resistor) inside 
> a box of air. The box has some losses to the outside.
> My assumption was that the heat capacitance of
> the resistor is not important compared to 
> the delay of heat transfer through the air.
> The point you made is still valid, though.
> 
> I modelled the resistor as voltage source, the voltage
> beeing proportional to the square of the resistor voltage.
> Then I connected a "heat pipe", of resistors and capacitors
> to model heat transfer. At the end I included a loss
> resistor to the outside. Now i have included an ideal
> diode to prevent backwards heat transfer into the
> resistor when it is switched off.

Why? It's not there in real life!

If your resistor does not receives any current to burn up, it will first cool
of, but may also heat up due to other heat sources.

The generate effect could be modeled as a heat-current, right? Loading of the
resistor's body mass is that of a capacitor shunted with a resistor. A few RC
links down you touch the surface and then into the free air.

This is just from the top of my head, but I could make a serious attempt for
an analogy if you really need it. I'm sure I have a few heat-models around
here somewhere.

Cheers,
Magnus - don't know if I should bother answering emails like these... seems so
useless and thankless at times...