Joule Wire Heater
Joule Wire Heater
Steel wire can be heated by passing an electric current through it. In practice, this can be achieved by running the wire over two rollers to which an electric potential is applied. This is an application of Joule's first law: the heat (energy) produced is proportional to the square of the current multiplied by the electrical resistance of the wire, . This heat, minus the energy loss due to radiation, produces a temperature rise in the wire.
Q=R
2
I
This Demonstration shows the temperature rise as a function of the system parameters: wire radius, wire speed, heated length, and applied current.