12/1/13

The Rheostat In Few Simple Words | EEP

The Rheostat In Few Simple Words

Startup rheostat of VL10 3 kV DC electric locomotive

A variable resistor can be made from a wirewound element, rather than a solid strip of material.
This is called a rheostat.
A rheostat can have either a rotary control or a sliding control. This depends on whether the
nichrome wire is wound around a dough-nut-shaped form (toroid) or a cylindrical form (solenoid).
Rheostats always have inductance, as well as resistance. They share the advantages and disadvantages
of fixed wirewound resistors.
Left: Toroid wire rheostat; Right: Slide wire rheostat

A rheostat is not continuously adjustable, as a potentiometer is. This is because the movable
contact slides along from turn to turn of the wire coil. The smallest possible increment is the resistance
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turn of the coil. The rheostat resistance therefore ad-justs in a series of little jumps.

Figure 1 - Connection of a rheostat in a variable-voltage power supply

Rheostats are used in high-voltage, high-power applications. A good example is in a variable-voltage

power supply.
This kind of supply uses a transformer that steps up the voltage from the 117-V utility mains, and
diodes to change the ac to dc. The rheostat can be placed between the utility outlet and the
transformer.
This results in a variable voltage at the power-supply output. A potentiometer would be destroyed
instantly in this application.

Rheostat Working Principle (VIDEO)

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Resource: Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics Stan Gibilisco

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