ELECTRICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

Repairing and Troubleshooting Fluorescent Fixtures   On the home repair scale of 1 to 10 (10 being hardest), repairing a fluorescent fixture is a 3 or 4... fairly simple but some basic electrical skills are necessary, such as being able to identify wires by color, stripping insulation from the ends of cut wires, installing wire nuts and reading instructions.  I added the first and last with tongue in cheek... I know most of you are not color-blind and most of you can read... or you wouldn't be here!. continue..   Replacing Fluorescent Lightbulbs   Changing a burned-out fluorescent lightbulb is only a bit harder than replacing a conventional one. Here we'll walk you through it and help troubleshoot a couple of possible problems. continue.. Fluroscent Lamps Wiring Diagrams   The fluorescent light remains one f the most poplar form of lighting despite the many  advancements made in recent years. Though many other more fanciful forms of lighting fixtures ha...

Basic Steps in Solving Power Quality Problems   Steps in solving power quality problems usually include interaction between the utility supply system and the customer facility. This is because power quality problems have different causes that can be traced from both the utility and the end-users. Consequently, different solutions are available in order to improve the power quality and equipment performance. The problem solving process should also consider whether the assessment involves an existing power quality problem or one that could result from a new design or from proposed alterations to the system. continue.. Power Quality Basics:Voltage Swell   Voltage Swell is defined by IEEE 1159 as the increase in the RMS voltage level to 110% - 180% of nominal, at the power frequency for durations of ½ cycle to one (1) minute. It is classified as a short duration voltage variation phenomena, which is one of the general categories of power quality problems mentioned in the second...

What is powersystemsloss all about?    System's loss reduction is now one of the most growing trends in every electric distribution utility. Primarily triggered by economics and regulation concerns, Transmission and Distribution companies now sets more focus in reducing losses and become as an efficient utility as possible in delivering power. Information found in this site will be very useful not only to electrical practitioners but it is also our goal to help students better understand the actual world. Thank you and lets all enjoy learning! continue..   Back to basic    n case you don't know, the power we get from our household electrical outlet didn't just appear in the thin air. It may appear that it is coming out from our walls but we all know that looks can be deceiving. Before reaching our respective homes, electric current passes through miles and miles of c...

LED flasher circuit http://www.simple-electronics.com/2010/11/led-flasher-circuit-using-555-ic.html   This project is a flashing led circuit powered by 555 timer IC.This flasher circuit is composed of two versions, the simple led flasher  that uses only two LED, and big flasher that consists 20  LEDs. Simple LED Flasher circuit is powered from a 6V to 12V battery and delivers a current of about 20mA to LED. The frequency of the flashing on both LED is controlled by 100K potentiometer connected between the discharge and trigger pin of 555 timer IC. The rate of flash ranges from 1blink per 2 seconds up to 10 flashes per sec.  continue..   12V to 5V DC converter using 7805 regulator IC http://www.simple-electronics.com/2009/11/12v-to-5v-dc-converter-using-7805.html   This simple converter project uses 7805 IC to convert 12V dc from a battery to 5V DC. This converter also can be made even only one component, the 7805 regulator. Converter can produce a ma...

What is a Transistor? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transistor   A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals. It is composed of a semiconductor material with at least three terminals for connection to an external circuit. A voltage or current applied to one pair of the transistor's terminals changes the current flowing through another pair of terminals. Because the controlled (output) power can be much more than the controlling (input) power, a transistor can amplify a signal. Today, some transistors are packaged individually, but many more are found embedded in integrated circuits. continue..   History of a Transistor http://nobelprize.org/educational/physics/transistor/history/   The transistor is a three terminal, solid state electronic device. In a three terminal device we can control electric current or voltage between two of the terminals by applying an electric current or voltage to the third terminal. This three terminal c...

What is an Integrated Circuit? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_circuit   An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit (also referred to as IC, chip, or microchip) is an electronic circuit manufactured by the patterned diffusion of trace elements into the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material. Additional materials are deposited and patterned to form interconnections between semiconductor devices. Integrated circuits are used in virtually all electronic equipment today and have revolutionized the world of electronics. Computers, cell phones, and other digital appliances are now inextricable parts of the structure of modern societies, made possible by the low cost of production of integrated circuits. continue.. Basics of Integrated Circuit http://www.solarbotics.net/bftgu/starting_elect_ic.html   Integrated circuits (ICs) are, much as their name would suggest, small circuits integrated into a plastic "chip." They provide a handy source of ric...