Heat transfer aspects of electric heating

JOULEAN HEAT generated when an electric current passes through a conductor is considered to be an undesirable by-product by the majority of electrical engineers engaged in designing electric apparatus and, therefore, great care is taken to reduce it to a minimum in these designs. Electric heating element designers, on the other hand, are continually searching for new ways to generate more heat. In one respect, however, both the designer of electric apparatus and the designer of electric heating elements have a common goal in that both are desirous of dissipating the generated heat with as small a temperature differential as possible between the hottest point within their respective equipments and ambient.