Transformer

Transformer

A Transformer is a passive electrical device that transfers electrical energy from one electrical circuit to another, or multiple circuits. A varying current in any one coil of the transformer produces a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core, which induces a varying electromotive force across any other coils wound around the same core. Electrical energy can be transferred between the (possibly many) coils without a metallic connection between the two circuits. Faraday's law of induction, discovered in 1831, describes the induced voltage effect in any coil due to changing magnetic flux encircled by the coil.

History

The transformer was an important element in the development of the electricity supply industry. The first designs were constructed in the early 1880s by Lucien Gaulard and John Dixon Gibbs in London and by William Stanley in the United States. The design was improved upon by companies such as Westinghouse, General Electric and others throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Principle of operation

Transformers operate on the principle of electromagnetic induction, as formulated by Michael Faraday. The transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors—the transformer's coils or "windings". Except for air-core transformers, the conductors are commonly wound around a single iron-rich core, or around separate but magnetically-coupled cores.

Types of transformers

There are several types of transformers, including power transformers, distribution transformers, isolation transformers, auto transformers, and instrument transformers.

Applications

Transformers are used in a wide range of applications, including power generation, power transmission, power distribution, and power utilization.

See also

• Electric power transmission
• Electric power distribution
• Electrical substation
• Electricity generation

References

Transformer Resources
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