Ohmic technology refers to the process of heating by way of direct electrical conduction. All matter has a certain amount of electrical resistance. Electrical resistance is a property of matter that defines how much effort (voltage) is required to push electrons (current) through it. The result of this effort is the generation of heat, which raises the temperature.

In the case of water, it is the dissolved impurities which allow effective heating. Pure water has a very low conductivity, the intrinsic inverse of resistance, and as such is difficult to heat. Once the impurities, in the form of dissolved ions and radicals are added, then the water becomes more conductive; it passes more current for the same applied voltage.

Ions and radicals have a net charge, either positive or negative, which causes them to be forced to move in an electric field, presented across a pair of electrodes. It is this motion which imparts energy to the water molecules. In the presence of an alternating current, typically either 50 or 60 cycles per second (Hertz), the charged particles will oscillate at that frequency. As they impinge on the adjacent water molecules, they impart kinetic energy, thus heating the bulk fluid. Further, since the voltage oscillates there will be no net accumulation of particles on either electrode, thus staving off any potential for scaling.

Water presents in a wide range of conductivity, depending on geography and the water source. The water in parts of Australia, for instance, can be forty times higher than New York. Further, the conductivity of water increases dramatically with temperature, up to five times across the liquid phase. That means as the temperature increases, more and more current will be drawn. this can become a runaway condition without sufficient controls.

Ohmic heating, sometimes referred to as Joule heating, is not new in itself. It has been used, successfully, for over one hundred years as a method of steam generation. The controls for such an application are crude, consisting of controlling the depth of electrodes submerged in the water. Further, since the only result was steam, no controls existed for any temperature other than boiling, seriously compromising its use for anything but boiling.

OhmIQ, the Conductors of Heat, have invented, developed and patented a set of controls that address all the challenges of heating water with electricity. By providing multiple electrodes that can be selectively energized, the effective resistance of the heating circuit can be attenuated as need be for differences in incoming conductivity and for temperature rises. The energized electrode array is determined by an advanced, patented algorithm that determines the optimal array strategy, then commands solid state power electronics to effect the applied voltage.