Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:

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This cable generates heat, and I’m going to show you how it works and why we need them in this video, which is kindly sponsored by Danos Climate Solutions. For 80 years, DEI Electric Heating Solutions have been improving people’s quality of living. With electricity emerging as a source of renewable energy, it’s enabling electric heating as a sustainable choice for the future. You can see the specifications for their entire range by using the link in the video description.

All electrical cables generate some heat, and electronic components also generate heat. This is how electrical energy leaves the circuit and causes our energy meter to measure energy consumption. Generally, this heat is wasted energy, which we don’t want in our circuits or electrical distribution systems, and we often need additional cooling to remove this unwanted heat from our devices; otherwise, they may break. However, it’s sometimes very useful, for example, in underfloor heating, where the wire generates heat to warm our homes. We can easily turn it on and off, and the heat is distributed throughout the room, not just along one wall like a radiator.

When we pass electrical current through a circuit, the electrons collide with atoms in the wire and electronic components, converting kinetic energy into heat. Some wires, like this standard copper one, generate very small amounts of heat, but this nichrome wire produces a lot of heat. Nichrome is an alloy, meaning a mixture of materials, and it has been specially designed to produce very high temperatures. It gets so hot that it even glows, which is also how old incandescent lamps work. The heat generated depends on the resistance of the material used, the amount of current passed through the wire, and the duration of the current flow.

Some materials have high resistance, while others have low resistance, which is a measure of how easily an electron can pass through without colliding. High resistance means more collisions and, consequently, more heat generated. The thickness and length of a wire affect its resistance; short, thick wires have less resistance than long, thin wires. This is why distribution cables are thick—to reduce resistance and energy losses.

For example, this heating mat covers 1 square meter and contains around 13 meters of cable with a resistance of 240.6 ohms. If we connect this to a 230V supply, the current demand will be roughly 0.935 amps, resulting in a power demand of 215 watts, or 0.215 kW. If we run this for 5 hours, it would produce 17 kWh of heat, and we would pay for 1.07 kilowatt-hours of electricity.

Electric heating is used everywhere—from kettles and toasters to hair dryers, electric showers, fan heaters, underfloor heating, frost protection, and many other applications. We’ll look at the different types and how they work, but first, where have you seen electric heating used, and why? Let me know in the comments below.

The reason electric heating is so popular is that it’s quick and easy to install compared to steam or hot water systems. There’s no risk of leaks causing water damage, and we can easily shape it to fit our applications. It’s almost 100% energy-efficient, and when powered by renewable energy sources, it has almost zero carbon emissions.

So, how are they used? We saw earlier that we can use nichrome wire to generate heat. That’s exactly what we find inside a toaster, where exposed wires surround a slice of bread, and the heat of the wire is enough to toast it. After a short duration, the power is cut, and the heat stops nearly instantly. However, the heat doesn’t travel far, so we can couple this with a fan to force air over the heating element. As the air passes over the heating element, it picks up heat, allowing us to project this heat into a room.

The problem with this design is that if anything physically touches across the heating element or between the heating element and ground, we get a short circuit, which can trip the breaker or damage the device. However, we can enclose the heating element, as seen in a kettle where the element is submerged in water. In these devices, the wire is wrapped into a coil and surrounded by a powder, typically magnesium oxide, and then enclosed within a stainless steel casing. When the wire is heated, the heat transfers through the magnesium oxide and then through the tube wall into the water, preventing a short circuit.

With underfloor heating, the surface area is much larger, covering most of the room, so the surface temperature is lower, and the heat is distributed evenly. In contrast, traditional heating methods, like a single radiator, can lead to poor thermal distribution and comfort within the room.

In a simple bathroom installation, the system is relatively straightforward. The heating cable is installed across the floor and connected to a wall-mounted thermostat, with a temperature sensor running down to the floor. This is then covered in adhesive and tiled over. The thermostat connects to the mains power supply, and when it detects that the floor temperature is lower than desired, it allows electricity to flow through the wire, heating the floor.

Electric heating cables are also used for frost protection, typically along external pipes at risk of freezing. The cable is installed along the pipe and fittings, usually insulated, with temperature sensors and thermostats monitoring the pipes to ensure the fluid within stays above freezing.

Additionally, electric heating cables can maintain a specific temperature for fluids traveling between production points, such as in food production or pharmaceuticals. Even with insulation, some heat escapes, which can cool the product over long distances, so electric heating ensures the correct temperature is maintained.

We might also find them used on rooftops to prevent snow buildup, as snow can add significant weight to a building structure. This process can be automated using electric heating.

Self-regulating heating cables are also used, especially in process engineering applications. These have two heating elements running along the entire length, encased within a conductive core. The core expands and contracts slightly as its temperature changes. When the cable or part of it cools, the material contracts, making it easier for electrical current to flow and generating heat. As the temperature increases, the material expands, making it harder for current to flow, thus producing less heat. This allows the cable to self-regulate its temperature and maintain a fluid within a pipe at a specified temperature.

Check out one of the videos on screen now to continue learning about electrical engineering, and I’ll catch you in the next lesson. Don’t forget to follow us on social media and visit engineeringmindset.com.

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This version maintains the informative content while removing any informal language and ensuring clarity.