Anthony Henry

Reverse
Engineering
With

Existing
Products

Toaster

Content

Page

2 Introduction

3 - 6 calculations
7 10 circuit board

11 variable resistor
12 13 heating element
14 15 product improvements

1.

Introduction
Name of product: Tesco 2T07 2 Slice Toaster
Price: 6.99
Height: 17.5 cm
Width: 25.5 cm
Depth: 19 cm
Weight: 860.0g
Volts: 120v

There are three main actions in the process of making toast.

Firstly the toast is lowered into the toaster. It is then toasted
by heating elements, and finally once it is ready, the toast is
popped back up ready for the user to eat it.

Calculations
Toaster settings

The first basic test was to determine the difference between the
various toaster setting. The first 2 settings did not produce what would
be classed as toast, rather warm bread. The last two setting produced
burnt toast and also highlights the toasters flaw of being too small to
cover the entire surface area of the piece of bread. Consequently, the
only functions considered to be useful were 3,4 and 5.

Filament temperature

Exterior metal temperature

PP Casing

PP Casing

PP Casing

50
40

500
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0

30
20
10
0
1

9 11 13 15

Exterior metal
Exterior metal temperature

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

The next test I produced was to see

the temperature of various different
components dissipate over time.
It was found that the components took 3
minutes to cool to a considered safe
temperature of 40C. The filament
temperature rapidly cooled more so than
the other components, this was not
surprising as it was the hottest by far and
its thermal conductivity is fairly high.

80
60
40
20
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10111213141516

Filament temperature
Filament
temperature

500
400
300
200

100
0
1

11

13

15

Using setting 3 the average temperature of the filament was also measured.
After taking the toaster apart the total area of the filaments could be
calculated. Thus using Kirchhoffs law of radiation I can predict the heat
transfer rate:
Average Temperature of toast= T2= 329.5K
Average Temperature of filament = T1= 509K
Area, A =0.0156m2

For a single side of toast

Rate of heat transfer = (1 4 2 4 )
= 1.00058986(5.67 108 )
0.0156(5.533 1010 )
= 48.97 W/2 / 4
For both sides = 97.948 W/2 / 4

Using some basic information about the product and recorded data I can
calculate the thermal energy using the formula: Q = mc

m = 0.085kg, c = 2.51J/kgC, T = 29C

Q= 6163J

6.

Circuit board
The toaster runs on 120Vs of Ac current, the Circuit
board and leaver mechanism work in tandem. Here is a
step by step process of how it works.

The leaver is depressed and a plastic

bar closes the contacts supplying the
circuit with power whilst also holding the
leaver down.

The 120V of electricity flows through the

circuit and the nichrome wires expend
energy toasting the bread.

At the same time of the electricity flowing

through the nichrome wire, it flows round
a simple circuit including capacitors,
resistors and transistor to power and
electromagnet.

When the toast is ready (determined by

the variable switch) the capacitor
charges through a resistor and when it
reaches a certain voltage the power
cuts off.

This in turn releases the electro magnet

thus plastic bar, which in turn holds the
leaver, propelling the leaver upwards
with the toast.

Components
NTC= Thermistor 5001k Resistance

Zd1= Watt Diode

D1+ D2= Each

are diodes

R1= 2.5
R2=1.1
R3= 0.3
R4= 0.1
Resistors

C1= 0.1F
C2=0.1 F
C3=0.039 F
Capacitors

Q1= S8050
C-B47
Transistor

Ec1=16V 470 F
Capacitor

Electro magnet

Variable
resistor x2

9.

Variable resistor
The variable resistor changes the speed at which the
capacitor charges, therefore less resistance means
quicker toasting time. The capacitor will not take as long
to charge releasing the electromagnet sooner which
means the lifting mechanism will be activated sooner.

Heating element
Mica
Sheet Mica has been used as the base structure on which to
wind the heating element. This is due to the properties Mica
possesses. Mica can withstand temperatures up to 900 degrees
Celsius, yet is also an electrical insulator meaning that when
high current is passed through the heating element it does not
flow into the base structure and cause a short circuit. The sheet
has slots stamped out the edges; this is where the Heating
element is wound on.

12.

Nichrome
Nichrome wire is made of an alloy of nickel and chromium, with iron
sometimes added in. Its main purpose is as it has been used in the
toaster, as a resistive wire that acts as a heating element, the filament
must have a high resistance so when a current is passed through it, it will
heat up quickly and to a high temperature. It has a very high melting
temperature of 1400 degrees Celsius, and is naturally corrosion resistant
to resist oxidation at room temperature.

One of the side panels

from the toaster

Product Improvements
The exposed metal at the top of the toaster
can become hot enough to be considered
a dangerous temperature, this is both a
hazard and a waste of thermal energy
which could potentially be put back into the
system.

When testing the toaster, it was noted

that the slices of bread do not actually
fit into the grill properly. The top 30mm of
bread remains above the heating
element. This leads to a significant drop
in heat transfer between the heating
element and the toast and uneven
browning when compared to the part of
toast that sits well within the grill.

The heating element could be

lengthened to the same high as a
standard slice of bread,
approximately 100mm x 110mm. This
would provide equal heat transfer to
the whole slice of bread and produce
more equal browning