Most of the electronic boxes available on the market offer the Temperature Control mode, also called TC or CT. It indicates to the box a temperature level not to be exceeded. Thus, it protects your coils and avoids possible dry hits by regulating the temperature generated by the chipset of your electronic cigarette.
Requiring adapted resistors, made of nickel, nichrome, stainless steel or titanium, the Temperature Control mode does not, therefore, work with all tanks.
HOW DOES TEMPERATURE CONTROL MODE WORK?
In the “classic” mode of your box, i.e. the power mode, the temperature of the resistance is naturally regulated according to the watts sent which will heat it but also according to the vapour generated by the liquid, which will so cool it down. This heat/cool cycle allows the coil to heat up without burning. This is the case when there is enough liquid to allow vaporization, but it is up to you to be vigilant because if there is not enough, the cotton will burn and a dry hit is guaranteed!
For a more or less dense vape, you will increase the watts, conversely, you will lower them, while remaining within the recommended range of watts.
The temperature control mode will allow for more precision. Instead of groping around playing on the watts and tasting your liquid as the changes are made, you will dictate a temperature to your box. This handling is generally different depending on the boxes, but you will find this indication in your user manual.
In the absence of being able to measure the temperature of the resistance or the coil assembly, the boxes will deduce it thanks to the value of the resistance in ohm. Each box is equipped with an integrated ohmmeter capable of measuring electrical resistance. With the property of metals that their electrical resistance increases proportionally to their temperature, the boxes are therefore able to also measure the temperature. The metal heats, the temperature increases and so does the resistance.
TEMPERATURE CONTROL CALIBRATION
You now understand that thanks to this rule which implies that the resistance evolves according to the heating, your box will be able to measure the increase in resistance and deduce its temperature. To do this, it applies the following mathematical formula: the temperature of your assembly at time T is equal to the ambient temperature (generally indoors, i.e. around 20°) + the current resistance (the box, thanks to its ohmmeter, can measure it) – the initial resistance (parameter to be entered in the box at the time of calibration) / the temperature control x the initial resistance.
For your box to operate in CT mode, it must be calibrated and able to communicate two parameters to it, namely the initial resistance and the Temperature Coefficient of the Resistive wire. In the menu, you must also choose the mode corresponding to your thread. For a nichrome assembly, choose Ni, for a titanium assembly Ti, etc.
As explained above, the box must know the initial resistance of the assembly. For this, you generally do not have much to do except to position your tank on your box and answer in the affirmative when it displays “new coil?”. The assembly must not have been used very recently because it must be at room temperature. If the resistance at this time is 0.15, the initial resistance of the assembly will be 0.15. This value will need to be locked. The procedure is different according to your boxes, you will have to refer to the instructions for use.
The box must also know the CTR (temperature coefficient) which is specific to each type of metal, and generally pre-filled in the box. Nickel will have a coefficient of 620, Nichrome 40, titanium 350 and stainless steel depending on its particularity (304, 316, 317 or 410) will have a coefficient varying between 88 and 155. If the coefficient is small, the resistance will rise little, as will the temperature. Conversely, the greater the coefficient, the more the resistance will increase, as well as the temperature.
Thus, when you tell your box that you are using titanium, it will integrate the titanium temperature coefficient into its calculations. Some materials have a function allowing you to enter the temperature coefficient of your metal yourself if you decide to use platinum or other…
CONCLUSION
Temperature control is a particularly convenient model for experienced vapers. It is therefore advisable to have some experience with vaping before embarking on more complex settings such as Temperature Control. But once mastered, you will be able to benefit from a vape more in line with your own needs, less energy-consuming and potentially healthier.