Enginursday: Linear Regulator Thermal Tests
This Enginursday tests a 7805 regulator with various heat sinks.
It's Enginursday again!
Today I'd like to show that it's not hard to collect thermal data, and that temperatures can vary wildly depending on how the heat can (or can't) escape. I apply several types of heat-sinking materials to a TO-220 7805 and see how it responds. If you've never taken the temperature of a component before, this will be a good introduction.
Tools used:
- The FlirPiCam
- Infrared thermometer
- Thermocouple Breakout - MAX31855K
- Thermocouple Type-K
- Decade Resistance Box
- Basic multimeter
- RedBoard
- Ceramic power resistors
- Dual tracking power supply
Software used:
- Arduino sketch for data collection
- LibreOffice-- for graphs
- Tera Term
Keep on testing,
Marshall
One thing to keep in mind is that linear regulators can be replaced with switching regulators for a penalty in price and space. eg Cui V7805-1000 (around $8) But the big advantage of switching regulators is no more heat.
Excellent display of engineering. We makers sometimes forget about heat and long running issues. Nice to see a study like this.
Typo-o in the first paragraph. "TO-220 7804" should be "TO-220 7805"
Fixed. Thank you!
Ha Ha Ha! As simple as that mistake is, it is a crying shame to discover after a month of testing ...I know ;(