Resistor temperature management

Whenever there is a current running through a resistor, a voltage difference occurs across its pins. The power given off by a resistor is calculated by using the expression P= I*U, where P is power, U is the voltage drop and I is the current through the resistor. The maximum power rating is a restriction on power given off by a resistor that shouldn't be exceeded for reliable operation. If the rating is exceeded, the resistor will overheat and stop performing properly. A system designer might want to keep the air around the resistor as cool as possible by putting ventilation openings in the enclosure, for instance. The conventional temperature at which the power rating is referenced is 70C. When there is a need to work above that temperature, the resistor cannot be allowed to operate at maximum power dissipation Unless the datasheet advises otherwise, it's usually a good idea to reduce the maximum power rating of the resistor by a half for each 30C rise above 70C. This applies only to a limited temperature range you can't simply, for instance, assume that you can run a resistor at high temperatures even at a very reduced power rating of a resistor.

Really high temperatures may be reached when some components are present. Processors, high speed memories or even mechanical devices sharing the same case as our resistor may increase the temperature significantly. Hard disk drives, for example, tend to work at temperatures over 70C and the resistors used in their circuitry must be carefully chosen and manufactured. It is in many cases valuable to know approximately what temperature rise might occur in the resistor when it is being used at its highest allowed (or any) power rating. In most cases, it's difficult to calculate exactly the temperature increase during normal operating conditions. System designers sometimes use charts similar to the ones shown in the figure, which show the connection between the temperature increases and dissipation for 0.5 W and 1 W rated resistors. By examining the table, we can see that if we had a resistor working at maximum power permitted by its power rating, and were the ambient temperature at 70C, which is the nominal temperature, the resistor core temperature could reach 130C!

High power resistors are usually wire-wound resistors. The bigger wire-wound power resistors are made of corrosion resistant wire wound on to a porcelain or ceramic type former. Typical applications of high power resistors include motor-braking resistors, electric heating or safety grounding resistors. Wirewound resistors are available in a large range of values, generally up to a kW. Nonetheless higher power ratings are also possible. Independent of the resistor material, all fixed resistors comply with Ohms law and this should be utilized when the required power dissipation of a resistor must be computed. It is also worth noting that when multiple resistors will be linked in parallel or series then their overall power rating is increased because the current and so power is distributed across the several resistors.