Types of thermostat

The thermostats are classified according to increase or decrease in thermistor resistance with
variation in temperature.

There are two types of thermistors

 Negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor

 Positive temperature Coeficient ( PTC)

NTC Thermistor

NTC thermistor has negative temperature coeffecicnet and the resistance of the thermistor
decrease with an increase in the temperature and the thermistor resistance increase when
temperature decreases. Thus the resistance and temperature are inversely proportional in NTC
thermistor.

The electric current flow through the NTC thermistor increase with increase in temperature.

With increase in temperature, a large number of charge carriers or free electron collides with
valance electron of other atom. The variance electrons which gains sufficient energy will breaks
the bonding with the parent atom and moves freelay from one place to another place are called
free electrons . thus the free electrons with the atom. The small increase in temperature produce
milliosns of free electrons.

The more free elctrons cause rapid increase in electric current. Thus, the small increase in
temperature cause rapid decrease in the temperature and allows a large current flow through the
thermistor.

PTC Thermistor

A PTC thermistor has the reverse relationship between temperature and resistance. When
temperature increases, the resistance increases. And when temperature decreases, resistance
decreases hence in a PTC thermistor temperature and resistance are inverlsly proportional.
Although PTC thermistor are not as common as NTC thermistor, they are frequently used as a
form of circuit protection. Similar to the fuctions of fuses, PTC thermistors can act as current-
limiting device.

When current passes through a device it will cause a small amount of resistance heating. If the
current is large enough to generate more heat than the device can lose to its surroundings thatn
the device heats up. This heating up will also cause its resistance to increase. This creates a self
reinforcing effect that drives the resistance upwards, therefore limitingthe current. In this way, it
acts as a current limiting device-protecting the circuit.