Voltage Transformers

 The transformer is an electrical device, which transforms voltage through magnetic coupling with no moving parts. It consists of a magnetic core, with two or more coupled windings, which either steps up or steps down the incoming voltage. This is done by the transfer of energy from one circuit to the other, through the magnetic core. These windings are generally termed as Primary and Secondary windings. The electromagnetic field thus created under goes a process of expanding and collapsing around the conductor and this changes the induced current, with the formation of an out put from the secondary coil, either stepping up or stepping down the input voltage. Click here on portable power station 220v to get more info about our site.

In order to understand the function of a transformer, only two sets of windings are considered. When the main AC voltage is applied to the input of such an electrical device, the alternating current in the Primary winding creates a time varying magnetic flux in the core. This induces an AC voltage in the secondary coil, which is either the step up or step down voltage of the device. The terms, step up and step down are used with respect to the input voltage of the device. Therefore, if your equipment has been specified as input voltage 110 Volts AC, and if you are in one of those countries where the mains power supply is 220 Volts AC, you will need a step down transformer to run your equipment.

In high tension power transmission, where huge towers carry the cables which brings the power to cities, towns and villages, step up transformers are used as the power leaves the power stations and as they approach the destinations, the voltage is stepped down to the required mains supply, before it is distributed amongst the consumers. The reason for stepping up the power as they leave the power station is for the fact that,as it travels down the long power cables, there are power losses in the way, and the supply can reach the destinations in a proper specified power level to be stepped down as required by the consumers. In this application there are good many use of transformers are made.

The transformer is the most simplest of all electrical devices and its basic principle has not changed over the last 100 years, though the material used in such transformers and its design continue to improve. It has a very important application in transforming electrical energy, both for consumer use and power transmission. In a similar way, audio frequency transformers have been used in earlier experiments in development of telephones. These are still found in many electronic devices. The transformers come in various sizes, depending upon the application it is required for. It comes in the size of a thumb nail to huge units for the power transmission applications of national power grids. They all operate with the same basic principles.

The core of the transformer, as we have seen above, may be made with various materials. These include:

Air - This is ideal for high frequency transformer, with application in Radio Frequencies and provides least coupling.

Iron - All so called iron core transformers are steel. Various additives are made to improve the magnetic properties, as for example the magnetic permeability. The degree of magnetisation of a material required for a linear response to an applied magnetic field is termed as Permeability.