PID with solid state reelay and heat sink

car54 · December 04, 2005, 10:49:42 PM

I made this PID with a solid state relay and a heat sink for my grandson's father. The PID is from Cold Fusion and the relay and heat sink are from Grainger's.

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

Brad

dick621 · December 07, 2005, 02:43:04 PM

What is a PID and how does it work? Dick

TomG · December 07, 2005, 04:07:17 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PID_controller

car54 · December 07, 2005, 10:29:31 PM

TOMG,

Thanks for the link. It does a very good job of explaining it.

Brad

car54 · December 07, 2005, 10:32:04 PM

Dick621,

Besides the technical information from Tom, the PID very accurately controls the smoke box temperature with no monitoring of the unit.

Brad

iceman · December 07, 2005, 10:55:14 PM

Sounds like an expensive and time consuming way to control your heat. I put a Johnson Control remote bulb thermostat on mine for about 40 bucks. It's accurate to + - 5 degrees which isn't to awfully bad. How much does does the PDI cost and are the parts easy to find?[?]

TomG · December 08, 2005, 12:32:35 AM

"Holy Smokes Iceman", "WOW!!!", is an under statement. It's hard to believe with your incrediable set-up that the temp isn't PID controlled[8D]. All the parts are are available online and run $60-90. With all of that heat why don't you just put the generator on a timer so it shuts down after 2-4 hours of smoking?

-Tom-

dick621 · December 08, 2005, 01:55:51 AM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by car54
 Dick621,

Besides the technical information from Tom, the PID very accurately controls the smoke box temperature with no monitoring of the unit.

Brad
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Thanks Brad. Sounds like something I might like to try after I get going with my BS when it gets here. Dick in Emmett, Idaho

iceman · December 08, 2005, 05:21:21 AM

The temp control I used already has a 24 hr. timer. It will go two directions to either shut off or control a second function such as cooling down. It's neat in the winter to be able to smoke fish and come home from work and it's done smoking and already frozen for vacum packing. Gotta love the frozen north sometimes. I can save a bundle on compressor / evaporator electricity consumption that way. In the summer I can fire the unit up as a blast feezer but man it sucks up the juice on the electric bill.<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by TomG
 "Holy Smokes Iceman", "WOW!!!", is an under statement. It's hard to believe with your incrediable set-up that the temp isn't PID controlled[8D]. All the parts are are available online and run $60-90. With all of that heat why don't you just put the generator on a timer so it shuts down after 2-4 hours of smoking?

-Tom-

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