Electric Transformers Industry Information
Electric transformers are inductively coupled electro-magnetic devices
which transfer electrical energy from one circuit to another. All
electronically operated equipment depend on power transformers
to convert electrical currents into voltages which fit a specific
application, and current transformation is also required in order to
store and transport energy through power lines and grids. By
transferring electrical energy through two coil stages, transformers
can increase, decrease, isolate, translate and pattern electrical
currents to safely power electronic equipment of all voltage
requirements. Transformers are configured differently to meet all types
of electric transformation applications and range in size from
thumb-sized transformers in electric lamps or microphones to the
enormous stationary transformers in power facilities. Low voltage transformershigh voltage transformers convert currents to power microwaves, vacuums and industrial equipment.
convert electrical currents into voltages which fit appliances such as dimmer lights, while
In
addition to converting currents to a higher or lower voltage, electric
transformers can serve to isolate parts of circuits from others. An
electric transformer can be as large as the fenced-in transformers for
whole facilities, or they may be small enough to be tucked away in
household appliances such as light fixtures. Electric transformers can
also serve to convert as power adapters in situations where there is a
voltage difference between an electronic component or appliance and an
electrical power supply. Safety is of the utmost concern in such
situations, since using a voltage which is too high or too low to power
a device can result in power grid failure, fire or fatal electric shock.
Instrument transformers, including
current transformers, accurately measure and monitor power voltage as it is transmitted proportionally through the primary and secondary coils.
Step down transformers convert higher voltages to lower voltages by having fewer secondary coil windings, while
step up transformers` higher number of secondary coil windings allow them to convert lower voltages to higher voltages.
Toroidal transformers
are donut-shaped transformers which are highly space efficient and
excellent for reducing electromagnetic interference; inductors limit
the amount of AC flow to an appliance or transient application while
suppressing high frequency noise, similarly to toroids.
Isolation transformers
decouple two circuits, allowing AC power to move from one device to
another without the two circuits connecting; this is achieved by having
the primary and secondary coils not directly connected. Inverters are capable of converting direct current voltage (DC) to alternating current voltage (AC), while
pulse transformers
create the electrical surges which are used in telecommunication and
detail logic applications such as camera flashes, radar equipment and
particle acceleration.
Electric transformers are comprised of
two sets of coils or windings linked by a magnetic field. The core is
iron, ferrite compound or a laminated core wound with bare copper or
enameled coils. The coils are primary and secondary and function as
conductors. When the primary coil receives AC voltage, this produces a
varying magnetic field of voltage surrounding the conductor; the
magnetic field activates the secondary conductor coil. This results in
the transformers changing the voltage and transferring electrical
energy, ideally with the least amount of energy loss. The number of
windings on each coil is important as this determines the voltage that
is conveyed from the primary to the secondary through the magnetic
field. The ratio of windings, or "turns", in the primary coil to the
number of turns in the secondary coil determines the magnitude of the
voltage; for example, a step down transformer will have fewer turns in
its secondary coil that the primary, while a step up transformer will
have more secondary coil windings than primary. Once the voltage
conversion is made, the energy is transferred to the load center and
the electrical process continues from there. Both the size and expense
of electric transformers increases in proportion to the number of
primary windings.