Variable Frequency Drive
Variable frequency drives are widely used to control the speed of ac motors. This note looks at the mechanisms which enable drive units to control the...
Fire Resistant and Fire Retardant Cables
Fire resistant and fire retardant cable sheaths are design to resist combustion and limit the propagation of flames. Low smokes cables have a sheath designed...
Introduction to Traction Substations
Following on from my post on railway electrification voltages, I thought an introduction to traction substations would be a good idea. Traction substations...
What is Aircraft Ground Power
Ever wondered what kind of power an aircraft uses when parked at the airport stand. Normally the aircraft generates it own power, but when parked with...
Post Editing Tips
If you at all familiar with programs like office and outlook, then adding and editing posts is pretty straightforward and intuitive. However, there are...
Thermoplastic and Thermosetting Insulation
While there are a vast array of cable insulation materials, these are often divided into two general types; Thermoplastic or Thermosetting. For example...
The dc resistance of conductors
This is the first of two posts on the resistance of conductors. In the next post I will look at the ac resistance, including skin effect and we deal with...
How to Check a Circuit is Dead
If you want to check a circuit is dead (not live), you should always use the three point method. First check a known live circuit, then check the dead...
Power Transformers - An Introduction
One of the fundamental requirements of an alternating current distribution systems it to have the ability to change the magnitude of voltages. It is more...
Inductance
When current flows within a wire, a magnetic field is created. The potion of this magnetic field perpendicular to the wire is called the magnetic flux...