{"id":2624,"date":"2025-03-15T10:12:43","date_gmt":"2025-03-15T10:12:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/youtubomatic-test\/demoa26f6b3a\/2025\/03\/15\/i-built-a-pv-dc-semiconductor-immersion-water-heating-element-diode-chain-application-science\/"},"modified":"2025-03-15T10:12:43","modified_gmt":"2025-03-15T10:12:43","slug":"i-built-a-pv-dc-semiconductor-immersion-water-heating-element-diode-chain-application-science","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/youtubomatic-test\/demoa26f6b3a\/2025\/03\/15\/i-built-a-pv-dc-semiconductor-immersion-water-heating-element-diode-chain-application-science\/","title":{"rendered":"I built a PV DC Semiconductor Immersion Water Heating Element! diode chain application #science"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"youtubomatic-video-container\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allow=\"autoplay\" width=\"580\" height=\"380\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/e1pFP2a4xqg?controls=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>RESEARCH PROJECT: creating a practical and affordable alternative to immersion resistance heating elements for solar electric water heating systems, while avoiding complex MPPT tracking circuits. Although such an option isn&#8217;t commercially available, I managed to build several of my own prototype semiconductor based immersion heating elements which accept direct Solar PV DC input. They do not need DC conversion and are able to perform rudimentary voltage tracking, resulting in a voltage profile similar to MPPT &#8211; but without the complexity and cost. The reason is they use something unexpected to extract heat: a diode chain or diode string. <\/p>\n<p>It is sometimes said &#8220;Diodes don&#8217;t obey ohms law&#8221;. That&#8217;s because Ohms Law is actually only a Model covering standard linear resistance elements. Diodes are not resistors and thus behave very differently. After many hundreds of hours testing them, I have learned how to use their behavior to extract more heat from PV solar electric power, while avoiding complex expensive MPPT ciruits. To learn more about how diodes behave as a solar powered heating element, check out my other videos and research posted below!<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<br \/>\ud83d\udfe2 Semiconductor Space Heaters! Solar Electric Powered with voltage tracking <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Cle05mmYOUs\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/Cle05mmYOUs<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udfe2 Tiny 14W diode based cooker and a 20w solar panel boils an egg!! <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/CRhkZp6ECHk\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/CRhkZp6ECHk<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udfe2 Diode Chain research Part 1 <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/6D0aUmkUQSQ\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/6D0aUmkUQSQ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udfe2 Diode Chain research Part 2 <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/42XIbHA9Dv0\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/42XIbHA9Dv0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udfe2 Some of the first tests I ever did with diodes <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/nu44wRBErc8\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/nu44wRBErc8<\/a><br \/>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<br \/>My video talking about the Hot Diodes paper: <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/whOXELklxQ4\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/whOXELklxQ4<\/a><br \/>Hot Diodes! on science direct paper link <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2352728519300508\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2352728519300508<\/a><br \/>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<br \/>Check out our blog &#8211; Solar Thoughts Blog! <br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/solarpoweredge.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/solarpoweredge.com\/<\/a><br \/>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<br \/>Check Out My New Amazon Storefront for project parts and more! Please note this store page earns me a small commission and uses affiliate links: thank you for supporting my channel! \ud83d\ude42<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/shop\/solarpoweredge\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/shop\/solarpoweredge<\/a><\/p>\n<p>These are affiliate links: I may receive a commission if you use them to shop. Thanks for supporting my work \ud83d\ude42<br \/>Standard Silicon diodes used for diode chains: <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/41KBitx\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/amzn.to\/41KBitx<\/a><br \/>Bridge rectifiers used for semiconductor space heaters shown: <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3FbInuA\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/amzn.to\/3FbInuA<\/a><br \/>20A diodes: <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4ioX37I\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/amzn.to\/4ioX37I<\/a><br \/>6A diodes: <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4ioWUBc\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/amzn.to\/4ioWUBc<\/a><br \/>DC Voltage and Wattmeter: <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4i64hO9\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/amzn.to\/4i64hO9<\/a><br \/>Thermocouple thermometer: <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3DmIwdR\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/amzn.to\/3DmIwdR<\/a><br \/>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<br \/>Like this type of video? Please Subscribe: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCSNAOq33nv3Ifd6q3b6lKbg?<br\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCSNAOq33nv3Ifd6q3b6lKbg?<br<\/a> \/>sub_confirmation=1<br \/>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<br \/>#solarheat #solar<br \/>#offgrid <br \/>#offgridsolarpowersystem <br \/>#offgridsolar <br \/>#offgridandongrid<br \/>#solar  #solarelectric  #solarelectricity #scienceexperiment<\/p>\n<p>Music credits: by TuneTank, Pixabay<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>RESEARCH PROJECT: creating a practical and affordable alternative to immersion resistance heating elements for solar electric water heating systems, while avoiding complex MPPT tracking circuits. Although such an option isn&#8217;t commercially available, I managed to build several of my own prototype semiconductor based immersion heating elements which accept direct Solar PV DC input. They do [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8553,"featured_media":2625,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14628,14629,14620,14623,14630,2592,54,14622,815,196,712,548,14621,14625,14624,12442,117,14626,11432,177,14619,14617,14618,50,14627],"tags":[14614,14615,14606,14609,14616,2568,27,14608,801,191,704,541,14607,14611,14610,12417,60,14612,11428,171,14605,14603,14604,23,14613],"class_list":["post-2624","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diode-chain","category-diode-string","category-diy-solar-heater","category-experimental","category-hwh","category-off-gird","category-off-grid","category-off-grid-life","category-off-grid-living","category-off-grid-solar","category-off-the-grid","category-offgrid","category-on-offgrid","category-pv-to-load","category-pv2l","category-semiconductor","category-solar","category-solar-diy","category-solar-experiment","category-solar-generator","category-solar-heat","category-solar-heater","category-solar-heating","category-solar-panel","category-solar-power-edge","tag-diode-chain","tag-diode-string","tag-diy-solar-heater","tag-experimental","tag-hwh","tag-off-gird","tag-off-grid","tag-off-grid-life","tag-off-grid-living","tag-off-grid-solar","tag-off-the-grid","tag-offgrid","tag-on-offgrid","tag-pv-to-load","tag-pv2l","tag-semiconductor","tag-solar","tag-solar-diy","tag-solar-experiment","tag-solar-generator","tag-solar-heat","tag-solar-heater","tag-solar-heating","tag-solar-panel","tag-solar-power-edge"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/youtubomatic-test\/demoa26f6b3a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2624","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/youtubomatic-test\/demoa26f6b3a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/youtubomatic-test\/demoa26f6b3a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/youtubomatic-test\/demoa26f6b3a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8553"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/youtubomatic-test\/demoa26f6b3a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2624"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/youtubomatic-test\/demoa26f6b3a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2624\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/youtubomatic-test\/demoa26f6b3a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/youtubomatic-test\/demoa26f6b3a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/youtubomatic-test\/demoa26f6b3a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/youtubomatic-test\/demoa26f6b3a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}