Arming Your Clients against Electric Shock

When you’re in the business of providing power monitoring equipment, you should always be ready to offer safety precautions to your customers. With the potentially fatal hazards associated with electrical systems, your customers should be fully aware of the risks and invest on ways to prevent them. By giving them useful information, you may even bring them to better appreciate the technologies you provide.

A Focus on Split Core Current Transformers

Transformers are useful devices that transfer energy between two or more circuits by employing electromagnetic induction. They also come in the form of laminated core, toroidal, auto, variable, and others that are designed to serve specific functions. One of these specialized types of energy transfer devices is the split core current transformer.

Just like other types of transformers, the split core variety measures alternating current that flows through conductors, but comes with a distinguishing feature: its design. Unlike common transformers that come in a toroidal coil, the design of a split core current transformer allows it to be assembled around a buss bar without the need to disconnect the buss bar. For this unique feature, the split core type employ C-cores and U-core structures because they are built for easy dismantling and reconstruction, thereby saving time and energy.

Split core current transformers are commonly used for lower frequency applications and normally employ grain oriented silicon steel for the metal core. This type of transformer can also use nickel alloys and more exotic materials for a core to ensure less core loss at higher frequencies (typically up to about 10 kilohertz). Despite its low frequency application, the lower core loss factor makes split core types suitable for high accuracy current transformers.

What are Current Transformers and What Do They Do?

There’s no denying that electricity is indispensable in today’s world. However, the same power that runs your TV can also be very destructive if delivered to your home in too large a quantity. That’s why proper electricity level is vital to ensure that your appliances don’t just explode the moment you plug them in.

Yet monitoring and measuring electricity is not exactly an easy task, especially since electricity is distributed in dangerously high voltage levels. Even if you had an instrument, how can it survive exposure to such power?