SYSTEMS - ELECTRICAL Flashcards
Ampere
electrical current
ampere = I
flow of electrons in a conductor
Impedance
Impedance - Z - resistance in alternating current AC circuit measured in ohms
Ohm
unit of resistance in electrical circuit
Watt
W- electrical power = P
• Watt: the standard measurement of power,
equivalent to 1 joule per second
Energy CALC
E = P*T
Energy = Power * time
measured in watt hours or kilo watt hours
Series circuit
Rtotal = R1 + R2 + R3
Parallel circuit
1/ Rtotal = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3
Two-way
SPST - Single pole, single throw
A simple on-off switch: The two terminals are either connected together or disconnected from each other. An example is a light switch.
Three-way
SPDT - Single pole, double throw
A simple break-before-make changeover switch: C (COM, Common) is connected either to L1 or to L2.
needed to control 1 light from 2 locations
Four-way switch
Double pole
DPST -Double pole, single throw
Equivalent to two SPST switches controlled by a single mechanism.
Four-way switch
DPCO - Double pole changeover
or Double pole, centre off
Schematically equivalent to DPDT. Some suppliers use DPCO for switches with a stable center position and DPDTfor those without. A DPDT/DPCO switch with a center position can be “off” in the center, not connected to either L1 or L2, or “on”, connected to both L1 and L2 at the same time. The positions of such switches are commonly referenced as “on-off-on” and “on-on-on” respectively.
Delta connected transformers
have their windings arranged in a triangular shape, which connects all three hot wires together and does not include a neutral wire. This type of source is almost exclusively used by power companies and you will not be able to run most equipment directly off this arrangement.
Wye connected transformers
have their windings arranged in a Y shape, which connects each of the three hot wires to a neutral wire. Wye connected sources give users a choice of voltages and can be used to run most equipment in buildings.
Ground rod
connects electrical system’s ground and neutral to the earth.
Monocrystalline photovoltaics
are more efficient than Amorphous or Polycrystalline photovoltaics.
The number of poles in a switch
The number of poles in a switch refers to the number of separate circuits that the switch controls.
throw count of a switch
The throw count of a switch refers to how many positions (other than off) each switch has.
Underfloor raceWays
Underfloor raceWays
underfloor ducts - proprietary steel raceways cast into concrete floor
Cellular metal floors - part of structural floor, same concept. Cells are closer together
Under carpet cable/wiring - thin, flat, protected wire that can be laid on the carpet without protruding through the carpet.
punch through recepticals
Q. Transformers are used for which of the following purposes?
Provide load control
Distribute power
Change alternating currents
Serve as a switchgear
Transformers are used to change alternating currents.
They are not used for load control or to distribute power.
They are part of switchgear.
Horsepower
• Horsepower: A measure of power equal to 746 watts
• Load Factor
• Load Factor: the ratio between the average and maximum power demands of a building
Motor vs Generator
- Motor: a machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy
- Generator: a machine that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy
Transformer, kva
• Transformer: device that transfers energy from one circuit to another by magnetic coupling with no moving parts. It changes the voltage (or force) of an AC circuit to a higher or lower value
Transformers change voltage in a circuit but not the total power
Separate wires are wound around an iron core. The wire with a greater number of winds has a higher voltage, The wire with less winds has a lower voltage
• KVA: is simply 1,000 volt-amps
• Demand factor:
• Demand factor: ratio of maximum demand or expected power usage to the total connected load
watt examples
• Examples:
- • A lightbulb
- • A medium size car
- • A small gas generator
- Examples:
- A lightbulb might consume about 60 watts
- A medium size car might consume about 100,000 watts
• A small gas generator puts out about 2,000 watt
Voltage 120/240
120/240
1 Phase
3 Wires
3 wire Connection
• Residential, small buildings, or where actual load is less than 80A
or
3 Phase
4 Wires
Delta Connection
• High Leg Delta typically only found in older buildings