OPERATION OF ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENTS

摘要

The invention relates to a method of driving a heating element such as a glow plug from an electrical power supply. The method comprises measuring the supply voltage periodically, initially driving an unsustainably high current through the heating element for a length of time related to the value of the measured voltage to bring the heating element rapidly to its operating temperature and subsequently regulating the mean current supply to the heating element to maintain the heating element temperature between upper and lower threshold limits.