The two most common resistor types for power resistor applications are the wirewound resistor and the thick film power resistor. The most important things to consider in power resistors are the following: the resistor value, the required power handling capability, the resistance stability over time, and change in resistance value with temperature. The main considerations in any high power applications are the effects of temperature and the resistor power handling capability. The long term performance and stability of a resistor is dependent on the materials and the methods used in its construction.
The design and construction of a resistor directly affects its long term stability and performance. You can determine its total resistance by the resistivity of the resistor material and the track length, width, and thickness of the resistor. It is possible to increase the track length and width for thick film resistors. But, increases in thickness are not possible. For wirewound resistors, it is possible to increase the wire thickness or length. If this is increased then the dimensions of the resistor is affected. Read more about power resistors company.
You should also consider the long term stability of the resistor material and the effect of temperature. The resistor performance can be degraded as temperature affects it. In extreme cases the resistor can fail. Temperature effects in thick film resistors can be minimized by choosing an appropriated thickness of a suitable substrate material. For wirwound resistors, the construction, core material, and the wire type and diameter should all be carefully considered.
The advantages of thick film power resistors over wirewound resistors are its small size, low cost, low inductance, and improved thermal management. Thick film resistors are smaller, have a faster frequency response and are better suited to heat sinking applications. They also have higher resistance values and higher voltage rating than wirewound resistors.
In high power applications, thick film resistors also have better advantages. It has high thermal conductivity of ceramic substrate. This makes it ideal for applications where higher heat dissipation is required in a small area. The substrate material is chemically inert and mechanically stable. To learn more about current shunt resistor company, follow the link.
Wirewound resistors offer higher precision, higher stability and lower values. Wirewound resistors are fundamentally a coil of wire which is an inductor. This gives a disadvantage to this type of resistor because of its high inductance and the coil construction make heat dissipation a major issues.
If you want more information on the different types of power resistors you can find many online sites where you can know the differences between them and what the best type of power resistor is for your application.
