The Simmerstat: Amazing tech in plain sight
Added 2024-04-22 18:31:50 +0000 UTCHello!
It's been a while. Would you believe that a script got out of hand? I know, unpossible. But that's what happened yet again.
This is something that I was genuinely delighted to learn about. I feel almost silly for not realizing that the same control strategy must have been used in older stoves, but I didn't! I had been wondering how exactly the power levels were modulated for some time and finally decided to look into it. And it's much more interesting than I could have imagined.
So... I'm going to try and rush a second video before the month is out. I felt very stuck on this one, especially since the Bright from the Start video was supposed to be the last video of March. And we're running out of April. I have a topic in mind but I need to confirm that my demo works, and if it does then I'll be starting production on that almost immediately.
I hope you enjoy this! I have the set warming up to make a better thumbnail and I'll be working on captions in the meantime. Should have them done by this evening.
Toodles!
Comments
I'm super curious how the old 6-button GE stove controls worked (with HI-2-3-LO-WM-OFF radio buttons), but not curious enough to spend ca. $150 to buy one on eBay. But maybe someone who can write it off as a business expense could spend that kind of money :). They have L1 L2 and N screw terminals and then four spade connectors for the element. Is it just doing series/parallel tricks? Are there semiconductors (i.e. diodes) involved? Update: found what might be the patent for it: https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/63/0a/83/c9a2b88ade1d3c/US2431904.pdf
Frank Schmitt
2024-07-23 22:18:21 +0000 UTCThe fatigue of a metal is tied to the stress on the part. A part can withstand a few loading cycles with high stress or hundreds of thousands or millions of cycles with low stress. In addition many materials have what is called an endurance limit. It is a level of stress below which no fatigue will happen. Parts which undergo lots of loading cycles are designed such that the stress doesn't get above the endurance limit. Then the part will at least in theory withstand infinite amount of use if it is not overloaded. The simplest examples are rotating shafts which experience a loading cycle on each rotation. That can mean thousands of loading cycles per minute and millions per day. They would crack very quickly if improperly designed. The bimetallic strip only bends a tiny amount and is made of very thin material. It means that the stress is also very low and fatigue is not a problem.
Juho K
2024-05-17 20:22:03 +0000 UTCHow much deforming and reforming can a bimetallic strip go through? Wouldn't metal fatigue (I think that's what it's called) cause the strip to basically say, "Enough!" and self-destruct, especially if it happens with this amount of frequency? I can see it lasting for quite a long time in your average thermometer given how slowly air temperature changes throughout an entire day, but many times per minute? Obviously, it works, so what would I know.
Arthur Robillard
2024-04-28 02:23:01 +0000 UTCThat "pop-out" thing is something only an architect or interior designer could love. More than ten times the price of a conventional product for an inconvenient experience :-P
Jerrad Pierce
2024-04-24 03:04:26 +0000 UTCThanks for using my employers outlet in your box (Legrand). Don't worry, i'm just an engineer, not in sales or anything. Since you love to talk about outlet design too, have you seen our pop-out outlets? https://www.legrand.us/wiring-devices/adorne-collection/outlets/adorne-20a-one-gang-pop-out-outlet-white/p/arptr201gw2 We also have a very interesting looking design, that is unfortunately terrible for vertical power bricks https://www.legrand.us/wiring-devices/adorne-collection/outlets/adorne-tamper-resistant-15a-duplex-self-test-gfci-receptacles-white/p/agftr2152w4
Benjamin Kier
2024-04-23 19:16:54 +0000 UTC
