Why do you need thermal control in an electronic cigarette?

The concept of “thermal control in an electronic cigarette” appeared relatively recently and has already become one of the most discussed topics in the vaping community. With the advent of this function, e-cigarettes have reached a new level, which guarantees users safety and high quality.

Many EC manufacturing companies are trying to follow the new standard and provide customers with temperature-controlled e-cigarettes, making the vaping process even more comfortable and enjoyable. Thanks to this, it has become very easy to find devices with temperature control on the shelves.

Vapers are very pleased with the advent of temperature-controlled mods, because now they can customize and regulate the power without worrying about overheating.

Principle of operation

Previously, when high power was set, the temperature of the coil increased to the point of overheating, which in turn resulted in a burning smell (at best). Using TK technology, regardless of power, the temperature of the coil does not exceed the permissible level thanks to the board commands. At high temperatures, the board cools the coil. As soon as the temperature of the coil returns to normal, the power of the ES increases again. The most important thing is that during this process the steamer will not feel any change in power, but will continue to enjoy vaping.

How does thermal control work? The basis of this system is the spiral material – titanium or nickel. Today, they can smoothly increase resistance when heated. When installing a coil, the board records the temperature of the coil in a cooled state, then, as the temperature increases, it calculates the number of Ohms and determines how much this indicator has changed. It is nickel and titanium, unlike other materials, that help electronics determine temperature and power, as they have the interaction of heat and resistance.

Therefore, in order for the temperature control to work in your e-cigarette, it is necessary to use only nickel or titanium in its device.

TK regulates temperature within 100-315 degrees and measures in Celsius. Some mods can support parameters in Joules, which determine the heating rate of the “head”.

Before the advent of the TK function, spiral windings were made mainly of kanthal. When a heat-resistant alloy of iron and chromium is heated, the resistance does not change, that is, it does not affect the change in power supplied to the spiral. When using thermal control, those materials are used whose resistance changes depending on the heating temperature. Therefore, temperature control on the kanthal is not possible!

A Guide to Temperature Control in Electronic Cigarettes (FAQ) | blog-and-news

What is TK (temperature control)

The TC allows the user to limit the maximum heating temperature of the coil at his discretion and above this set value the coil will not heat up regardless of the set power, the presence of airflow and the presence/absence of liquid.

What are the benefits of using temperature control?

When the coil overheats, thermal decomposition of the components of the liquid occurs with the formation of toxic substances (formaldehyde, acrolein) - popularly called garik. By setting the correct temperature for maximum heating of the coil, you are completely protected from burnt and semi-burnt spots.
There is no need to monitor the amount of liquid remaining in the atomizer and worry that it may suddenly run out. This is very convenient for opaque tanks. When the liquid runs out, the amount of steam simply decreases and you understand that you need to refill the tank.
The organic wick material is protected from burning and your coil or replacement evaporator will last much longer.
When using TC, the taste is purer and develops better. Different flavors reveal the taste better at different temperatures.
You can select the desired temperature and get the taste you like.
Without TC, when the airflow decreases, the steam becomes hard and hot.
When using TK, the taste and temperature of the steam do not depend on the draft force. It’s just that if there is less airflow, you get less steam, but the steam is stable and does not change its properties. For example, you can, without changing the winding, simply reduce the airflow and vape the same device with both a tight cigarette puff and a loose hookah puff.

How does thermal control work?

The operating principle of the TC is the use of special nickel wire (Ni 200, not to be confused with nickel-chrome) (there are also less popular options on titanium and iron). Spirals made of these materials greatly change their resistance when heated.

Before use, the new winding is “calibrated” - the resistance value of the cold spiral is memorized by the board. Then the electronic board constantly monitors the resistance and uses it to calculate the current heating temperature of the coil.

When the set temperature is reached, the board accordingly limits the output power and then maintains the temperature at the set level.

Features of using temperature control

Important : when installing and memorizing the resistance of a new coil with a mod, it must be cold (you can do several idle pulls without pressing a button - blowing will cool the coil if it was heated).

In TK mode, the main and main adjustment is the temperature setting. A correctly operating heating system maintains the set temperature regardless of airflow and even without it at all. When operating a TC, it actually does not matter what power is set as long as the correct temperature is set.

Setting the power in the TC is just a limiter (if you lower the power) or increase it (setting the boost mode) in order to quickly reach the maximum permissible temperature. The actual power will depend only on the performance of the coil/blowing and the temperature setting.

It’s hard to describe, but the taste and sensations from vaping in TC mode and normal mode are different (even at the same power) and strongly depend on the set temperature.

By accurately adjusting the temperature, you can achieve the result you need, incl. get steam as usual.

A big advantage of TK, in addition to its pure taste, is the protection against burns and semi-burns - the liquid runs out and the amount of vapor simply decreases sharply.

Will I be able to vape in TK mode with a tight cigarette puff at my favorite power of 11-12 Watts, if in TK mode the power cannot be set to less than 30 Watts?

- Yes, you definitely can. The actual power will depend only on the performance of the coil/blowing and the set temperature. If you vape on your usual winding and atom (which work optimally at 11-12 Watts), then even though 30 W will be written on the screen, the real power will be 11-12 Watts at the right temperature.

Setting the power to 30 watts will only affect the heating speed of the coil. As soon as it heats up to the desired temperature, the board will immediately reduce the power to the one actually used. By lowering the temperature setting, you can reduce the actual power to at least 1-2 watts. So vaping at low power and cigarette cravings with a properly functioning TC is quite possible.

Will I be able to burn through my spiral?

– In TC mode, you will not be able to heat the coil above the set temperature. You won’t be able to burn in variable watt mode if the resistance is less than 0.15 Ohm. If it is so important for you to constantly burn through the spiral, then use windings with a resistance of 0.15 Ohm or a little more (TC mode supports resistance from 0.05 Ohm to 1 Ohm). We do not recommend burning spirals on nickel.

Will temperature control work if I use nichrome or kanthal (fechral)?

- No, it will not. For proper operation of the TC, materials with a higher temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) are needed. Nickel, titanium and iron have large TCS. The mod board must be able to work correctly with a specific metal, since their characteristics are different. Now the most common material and supported by all mods with TK is nickel.

Source: https://eko-smoke.com.ua/posobie-po-temperaturnomu-kontrolyu-v-elektronnyh-sigaretah-faq.html

TK on different alloys

The thermal control function only works on materials that have a high resistance coefficient. The dependence of the resistance upon heating of the winding is an important determining factor. Next we will take a closer look at these materials, as well as their alloys.

Nickel

The first to use nickel for thermal control was Evolv. Nickel has the highest resistance of any material known to the vaping industry. Earlier we mentioned canthal, properties of which are not suitable in this situation. However, the developers plan to create mods with the TK function on kanthal.

Titanium

Titanium has a coefficient of resistance (TCR) slightly more than half that of nickel. It can often be found in sump tanks.

Despite the fact that titanium is inferior to nickel in terms of TCR, thermal control on titanium has a number of advantages:

the ability to produce microcoils;
the ability to combine with other materials when winding;
much stronger than nickel;
safer, not subject to corrosion and oxidation.

Stainless steel

This metal has the lowest TCR among its “comrades”, so it is less often chosen for vaping in the “thermal control” mode. With all this, it is worth noting one significant advantage of temperature control on stainless steel - when you press the power button, the coil heats up instantly. This quality allows you to maximize the taste of smoking liquids for ES.

Nickel-iron

Quite a new alloy in the vaping industry. Its TCR value is close to titanium, which is very good. Supplied in 0.28 mm thickness.

At what temperature should you steam stainless steel?

More recently, the concept of temperature control has appeared in the world of vaping terminology. It has gained popularity since it began to be discussed on various forums. TC on stainless steel is just such a topic that worries most steamers.

Let's look at the principle of operation of this mode, its safety and quality of vaping with temperature control, as electronic manufacturers promise.

How does thermal control work?

Many ES brands are chasing new standards and putting on the market modified devices equipped with the TC mode. According to them, it makes vaping even more comfortable and enjoyable. And today it is generally not difficult to purchase electronic devices with temperature control. In early devices, where the power increased critically, the temperature of the heating element increased similarly.

In this case, the best that could happen is a burning taste in your mouth. We will not talk about more unfortunate consequences. With the advent of the temperature control mode, the device, despite its power, prevents the coil from heating to critical levels.

If the temperature begins to exceed permissible values, the board will begin to cool the coil. As soon as its temperature returns to normal, the power will automatically increase again. The most important thing in this moment is that for the owner these manipulations will not affect the quality of soaring in any way.

Let's figure out how temperature control works:

The latest generation devices, for example, eVic VTC mini, with updated firmware 3.0 in TCR mode, allows the use of canthal and many other metals that were not previously supported.

Stainless steel with thermal control

The TCR of this material has the lowest value compared to its colleagues in the workshop. Based on these indicators, this material is used the least for winding coils. It should be noted that vaping on a stainless steel coil has one distinctive and interesting advantage. When you press the power button, the coil heats up instantly.

This property guarantees that the taste of the e-liquid will be revealed from the very first puff. Stainless steel has some nuances in devices with TC. As already mentioned, the first attempts by vapers to use nickel on a TK took place on the eVic VT electronic device. The stainless steel was 321 grade.

According to vapers who have adapted this material into a device, such winding can be burned through many times. Winding stainless steel is also very convenient.

For thermal control with nickel to work in the EVIC VT, you need to properly configure the device. 304, 316 and 321 stainless steel will be suitable. Not everyone recognized her. Unlike 316, this alloy does not have molybdenum. Please note that stainless steel coil wire should not be coated with brass or nickel.

There is an opinion from vape experts: if the wire is of high quality and not handicraft, then you just need to turn on the device in thermal control mode. This will happen when you use simple windings. If this does not happen or you have a braid or art coils, then the first option will help you out.

Stainless steel VS iStick TC 40

We will install a stainless steel subtank on our device with TC. Titanium mode at 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The device operates absolutely smoothly on stainless steel. The only thing you should pay attention to is that during the first puff, all 40 watts of power are supplied to the coil at once, and only then can it be adjusted.

Therefore, the first steam that enters your lungs will be quite hot. But over time you get used to it. The nuances described above can only appear on older generation devices. Modern devices either already support many materials in the basic configuration, or, thanks to firmware improvements, have these options in the process.

However, in any case, vapers do not sleep. If your favorite electronic device has not yet worked on stainless steel, be patient. Soon craftsmen will come up with new ways to steam stainless steel in the TC mode.

Source

The vaporizer temperature should not exceed 150°C if you want to use these herbs:

This was a list of herbs that are used in low temperature. Below is a list of herbs used at medium temperatures

Which evaporator should you choose?

Many people believe that servicing an e-cigarette is expensive and difficult.

In fact, it is relatively simple to monitor your vape - just change the evaporator several times a month and you can enjoy vaping without much labor and time.

There are a large number of diverse devices on the market, differing in the type of traction and richness of flavor. Atomizers usually come with several types of products made from different materials.

To make the right choice in favor of an evaporation element that will provide you with a bright taste and sufficient steam volume, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the product varieties in more detail.

Heating element in evaporators

Spirals are made from different metals, and the most popular among consumers are:

Which evaporator resistance should I choose?

Coil resistance is an important parameter. The indicator largely depends on:

Advantages and disadvantages of TC

We should start with the pros, since when using temperature control there are definitely more of them than cons.

So, the advantages of thermal control:

Cool steam - thanks to this function, you can set a temperature that is comfortable for you, which will make the steam taste better and less hot. Until recently, doctors criticized ES for its hot steam, which can damage the mucous membrane of the oral cavity and also provoke various types of diseases. With the advent of TC, this problem has been solved.
There is no unpleasant burning taste - the mod board controls the heating temperature and, if necessary, cools the coil, reducing the supplied power, thus eliminating the situation of burning the cotton wool.
The type of airflow and the amount of liquid do not affect the temperature - if earlier this was of great importance, now with a titanium or nickel evaporator it makes absolutely no difference. When the liquid in the tank or drip device runs out, instead of a burning taste, the amount of smoke simply decreases.
Increasing the service life of the coil - since there is no chance of burning the wick, and with it the coil, the evaporator can now be changed much less frequently.
Saving battery and liquid - heating temperature and power are controlled, so the e-cigarette does not “fry to the fullest” unless necessary.
The taste of the steam is independent of the airflow - if previously, when the airflow was reduced, the steam became hard and hot, but now the airflow does not affect these parameters in any way. The steam remains cool and pleasant in any case.

Everything good is always accompanied by disadvantages.

TC was no exception:

High price - materials such as nickel and titanium have always been an order of magnitude higher than their “brothers in the industry.”
The release of harmful substances when nickel is heated - this has not yet been proven by anyone, but if you want to warn yourself, then use titanium.

Why should you switch to temperature control?

Many users find temperature control difficult and are hesitant to use it, and many have already used it but made mistakes. The result is predictable - in this case, the impression about thermal control is that it is just another marketing ploy by manufacturing companies and is of little use. However, if you understand all the difficulties that physics presents at the 6-7 grade level, then the advantages of thermal control are undeniable.

As practice shows, newcomers to electronic vapor generators, who just smoked their last cigarette yesterday, experience enormous difficulties in forming the correct smoking style for an electronic vapor generator. This leads to constant leaks of liquid, a burning taste, and so on. And with such a set of problems, “seasoned” with discomfort and sticky hands, regular cigarettes will sooner or later regain their place in the pocket, because with them everything is easy and simple - smoke it and throw it away.

It’s another matter if a beginner, immediately after purchasing an electronic vapor generator, correctly sets the temperature control for a BF 1 Ohm “cigarette” vaporizer with a steel coil - and nothing leaks, and it doesn’t burn even with double puffs, and it doesn’t last 1-2 weeks. This will also be appreciated by experienced users who prefer a cigarette puff - the steam temperature can be set low and get closer to that legendary “cold” steam with a pure taste that was with old cartridge devices.

Lovers of hookah puffs will also appreciate thermal control - the likelihood of a burnt taste is reduced, which is important when working at high power, and even when the temperature changes by 5-10 degrees, the taste reveals itself differently, adding more and more new notes.

As mentioned above, the use of thermal control on electronic cigarettes drains the battery faster, but this is not an undeniable disadvantage, because you can turn off the glow of the box mod screen during and after inhaling, thus saving almost the same loss of energy. And as for the difficulties with the thermal control settings, even after reading this article, you can always contact VIPMAG.BY specialists, who will be happy to check the correctness of the settings, help you adjust them taking into account practice, and also explain in detail the principle of operation of thermal control in electronic steam generators!

Myths

The arrival of something new is always followed by the appearance of myths.

Let's find out which of this is true and which is false:

PriTC can be set to any temperature - a myth. In fact, mods allow you to adjust the indicator within the range of 100–315 °C.
Vaping with TC can be harmful to health – a myth. When heated, nickel releases hazardous substances with temperatures ranging from 600 °C. What kind of e-cigarette can “heat up” to such a state?
The evaporator must be burned out before you start using the TC - a myth. On the contrary, this cannot be done. You will only ruin the device.
The power indicators on the mod screen do not correspond to reality - true. This indicator actually depends on the coil, the type of airflow and the set temperature.
For TC you can use a spiral made of nichrome, kanthal and iron - a myth. All these metals have a low coefficient of temperature resistance, which does not correspond to the operating principle of thermal control.

Temperature control

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Temperature control appeared in the summer of 2015 and immediately became a hot topic.

This function brought so many useful properties that it instantly became a new standard that e-cigarette manufacturers measure up to.

And thanks to the development of the vaping industry, mods with temperature control immediately began to appear on the “counters”, and there was no need to wait six months for the establishment of production, as was the case with the variwatt.

Variwatt is not mentioned in vain: temperature control in an electronic cigarette is its direct successor, improving the concept of power regulation.

Mods with TK allow you to adjust the power, but when the temperature is set, maintaining it is given higher priority, and if the coil gets very hot, the board gives the command to reset the power in order to cool the evaporator.

For the vaper, the sensations will not change: it will seem to him that the power is still the same. When the coil begins to cool, the board increases the power and, in general, maintains the set temperature in every possible way.

How does thermal control work? The secret lies in the special material of the evaporator - nickel or titanium. These metals tend to increase resistance when heated, and do so linearly and smoothly.

When installing a new evaporator, the mod board remembers what the resistance of the cold coil is, and then, based on the number of Ohms, it can determine how hot the coil is. The use of these particular metals allows electronics to determine temperature very accurately.

Other materials do not have such a direct and clear interaction between heat and resistance, so their use does not make sense.

Accordingly, for the function to work, clearomizers are needed that support the ability to install titanium and nickel heads. As a rule, these are the majority of modern clears: Eleaf GS-TANK TC, Kanger Subtank.

You will also need a mod with temperature control. Here the choice is a little smaller, since the new product is not yet so widely represented in the model ranges of large companies. Examples include eVic VT, iStick 40W TC, Sigelei 150W TC, Kanger Nebox. The difference between these mods is a special board that “understands” the resistance indicators of nickel and titanium.

Temperature control allows you to adjust the temperature between 200-600°F or 100-315°C. Accordingly, the unit of measurement during adjustment becomes not Watts, but degrees. In some mods, there is a switch to Joules, which determine the heating rate of the coil. They can be set manually, or you can trust the automation, which “knows better” and will select the optimal value.

The benefits of temperature control are quite impressive:

cooler steam - by setting the temperature, you can limit the “waste” heating of the coil, which will make the steam cooler and more pleasant to taste, without losing its abundance. An important feature of cool steam is that it does not irritate the mucous membrane of the throat. According to WHO doctors, hot steam was one of the last complaints against e-smoking, as it could provoke diseases of the oral cavity. With TC, electronic cigarettes become even safer for health;
no burning aftertaste - the book saga about Harry Potter is over, and so are his adventures in vaping. The mod board monitors the heating of the coil and promptly reduces the power when overheating, thereby eliminating the possibility of scorching the wick. In addition to the unpleasant taste, “garik” also emits harmful substances, so its absence will have a positive effect on the health of the vaper;
the heating temperature of the coil does not depend on the amount of liquid and airflow - on any clearomizer with support for nickel or titanium evaporators, temperature control will perform its functions equally well. When the liquid begins to run out, instead of burning, there will simply be less steam, or the coil simply will not heat up;
the wick, and with it the coil, will last longer - the evaporator, protected from burning, will need to be changed less often;
battery and liquid consumption is reduced - unlike conventional mods, an e-cigarette with a TK does not always “fry to the fullest”, but reduces power when it is not required. As a result, less energy is consumed and less “slurry” is evaporated in vain;
the taste of the liquid is better revealed - with a simple selection of temperature, you can rediscover the familiar mixture;
setup is simplified - you can forget about Watts, Ohms and Volts, just set a comfortable value in Fahrenheit or Celsius, or in Joules;
the taste and saturation of the steam do not depend on the airflow - mods without thermal control make the steam harsh and hot when the airflow is reduced. Temperature control at any draft leaves the steam cool and tasty. If you reduce the airflow, there will simply be less steam, nothing else will change.

Are there any disadvantages to temperature control? Yes:

high cost - the mod itself, a clearomizer with support for titanium and nickel, evaporators made of these materials add up to a significant amount. True, not all devices are expensive: the Eleaf iStick 40W TC costs the same as a regular mod without thermal control, while its colleagues are about twice or even three times more expensive, like the new late 2015 Kanger Nebox;
the danger of releasing harmful substances when using nickel is still a rather controversial issue, but it would be criminal to remain silent about it. Those who want to neutralize even a potential threat should use titanium vaporizers, which are even more expensive.

New products always give rise to rumors and myths, let's figure out which of them is true and which is not:

TK allows you to select any temperature - this is not entirely true, mods with thermal control allow you to adjust the temperature within the range of 200–600 °F and 100–315 °C. But depending on other settings, the board may lock the device at certain temperatures to prevent damage to the mod. There is also a slight error that varies depending on the device. Because of it, the set 200 °C may in fact turn out to be 210 °C or 190 °C;
Temperature controlled vaping is hazardous to health - partly true when you consider the potential dangers of nickel. When heated above a certain threshold, this metal becomes toxic and brittle, which not only harms health, but also shortens its service life. The effects of nickel in TK mods have not yet been studied, and those concerned about it should use completely safe titanium;
The evaporator for the TC must be burned before use - under no circumstances should this be done! Taking into account the above point about nickel, this will not only damage the evaporator, but also put your health at risk. Moreover, the mod with TK will not allow you to burn through the spiral, since this is not required;
The power on the screen has nothing to do with the real thing - true. However, it is worth considering that despite the discrepancy “on paper”, “in sensations” it will seem to the vaper that the e-cigarette is working at the set power. Actual values depend on the performance of the coil and the quality of the airflow, as well as the set temperature. By adjusting the number of degrees, you can achieve the desired sensations corresponding to your “favorite” power;
you cannot set the power below 30 watts on cigarettes with TK - a myth that is a continuation of the previous point. Depending on the airflow, temperature and heating of the coil, the mod can reduce the voltage below 30 Watts so as not to overheat the evaporator. Moreover, there are mods that allow you to set single-digit power values in vari-watt mode, and it can be used in TC mode;
you can wind a spiral for TC from nichrome, kanthal and iron - partly a myth, partly true. Due to the special properties of nickel and titanium, the board can accurately monitor temperature based on their resistance; nichrome and kanthal do not have this. Iron has similar properties, but the relationship between heating and resistance is not so linear; moreover, a device with thermal control must “know” metal, but modern products do not perceive “stainless steel”. However, vapers have learned to trick their mods by presenting the iron coil as low purity nickel (10-11% for the Nebula SXK60 e-cigarette). At these settings, “stainless steel” works with temperature control, but these are still amateur experiments. In the future, perhaps iron will become an alternative material for fuel cells, thus reducing the cost of evaporators;
TK is only available in box mods - more likely yes than no. All major manufacturers have chosen the box mod form factor for temperature control, as have the smaller ones. However, you cannot ignore cylinder mods with TC like the Heatvape Power Tube TC. So far, only Heatvape has appeared in an unusual form factor for thermal control.

The iJOY Asolo 200W TC mod deserves a special place in the myths section, which was declared as the first and only e-cigarette with TC on kanthal and any material in general.

At first, the data was even confirmed, but when it went on general sale, it turned out that you still can’t fool physics, and on the kanthal TC from iJOY Asolo 200W TC did not work at full capacity, but was simply a kind of protection against “flares.”

With the new version of the mod, the manufacturer put a good face on a bad game and stated that “TC” in the name is an abbreviation not for “Temperature Control”, but for “Taste Control”, that is, the same protection against the burnt taste.

In addition, independent vapers conducted a series of tests and proved that the mod does not even produce the promised 200 Watts, being limited to approximately 166 Watts. By the way, the price of this e-cigarette is 70–100 dollars.

In conclusion, we can cite popular box mods with temperature control from trusted manufacturers.

Joyetech eVic VT is a stylish and productive mod that claims to be the first device with TK. The maximum power is 60 Watts, and the battery capacity is 5000 mAh.

Sigelei TC 150W is a large mod with a maximum power of 150 Watts and two replaceable 18650 batteries. Combines variwatt, varivolt and temperature control. But for such functionality you will have to pay double the price.

Eleaf iStick TC 40W - 2600 mAh and a “ceiling” of 40 watts. However, despite its functionality, the device is very affordable. In this regard, the comparison of Eleaf iStick TC 40W and eVic VT is very indicative

Cloupor GT 80W - like Sigelei, combines variwatt, varivolt and temperature control. The device has a maximum power of 80 watts and two removable 18650 batteries.

Source: https://xn--80azbeklgbg.xn--p1ai/news/obuchayushchie/funkcii/temperaturnyj-kontrol/

How to vape with TK?

For a better understanding, let's look at this process step by step:

set the temperature control mode you need;
install the evaporator;
do the same with the tank and mod. Make sure everything is screwed all the way in;
if necessary, set the power to 30W;
following the instructions for your ES, secure the resistance;
set the temperature - for starters, you can take 200 °C, raise it higher if necessary;
vape as always, while enjoying the cool steam and delicious aroma of the liquid.

Mods with temperature control

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the popular mods whose device is supported by TK:

Joyetech eVic VT has a stylish design, which is very attractive to the buyer. Considered one of the first temperature-controlled devices. Battery with a reserve of 5000 mAh, power – 60 Watts.
Sigelei TC 150W - is remembered primarily for its large size, as well as maximum power - 150 watts. The package includes two replaceable 18650 batteries. For all its advantages, it has one drawback - high cost.
Eleaf iStick TC 40W is an affordable mod for beginners with a power of 40 Watts. Battery with a reserve of 2600 mAh.
Cloupor GT 80W - in addition to the TK, it also has variable watt and variable voltage. The power of the device is 80 watts. Includes two removable batteries.