Simulating PTC and NTC heating elements with Energy2D

Figure 1: A demo simulation.

A heating element converts electricity into heat through Joule heating: Electric current passing through the element encounters resistance, causing the temperature of the element to rise. A thermistor is a type of resistor whose resistance changes significantly with temperature. In a heating element that uses a thermistor with a positive temperature coefficient (PTC), called a PTC heating element, the temperature increases rapidly. In a heating element that uses a thermistor with a negative temperature coefficient (NTC), called a NTC heating element, the heating will gradually weaken when the temperature increases.

Figure 2: Setting the temperature coefficient.

Several Energy2D users have requested adding PTC/NTC controls to the software. So this was added last night. You can now set the temperature coefficient while defining a power source, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 1 shows the comparison of the temperature increasing in a PTC heater, a constant-power heater, and a NTC heater, with the temperature coefficients being 0.1, 0, and -0.1, respectively. Note that in the case of constant power, the temperature increases linearly in time (as per the definition of constant power), whereas PTC and NTC exhibit nonlinear behaviors.

You can click the link under the image to run the simulation yourself.