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...
Back to basics - the Watt (or kW)
When thinking about watts (W) or kilowatt (kW = 1000 W) it can be useful too keep in mind the fundamental ideas behind the unit. Watt is not a pure electrical...
Mobile Phones (Brick to Implant)
The mobile phone was born in 1973. They were the size of a brick and weighed a couple of kg, making them difficult to fit into your pocket. At a few thousand...
EU Code of Conduct on Data Centres - Best Practices
The European Union is implementing a voluntary code of practice for participants with the aim of improving the overall efficiency of data centres. As part...
Photovoltaic (PV) - Electrical Calculations
Photovoltaic (PV) cells (sometimes called solar cells) convert solar energy into electrical energy. Every year more and more PV systems are installed...
Back to Basics - Ohm’s Law
Electrical engineering has a multitude of laws and theorems. It is fair to say the Ohm's Law is one of the more widely known; it not the most known. Developed...
Standard Cable & Wire Sizes
IEC 60228 is the International Electrotechnical Commission's international standard on conductors of insulated cables. Among other things, it defines a...
Fault Calculation - Per Unit System
Per unit fault calculations is a method whereby system impedances and quantities are normalised across different voltage levels to a common base. By removing...
Resistors
Resistors are electronic components that oppose the flow of current. Manufactured in various types and ranges they have a wide application to electronics...
Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla was born exactly at midnight on July 10, 1856 in the tiny village of Smiljan, Lika in Croatia. In his late teens, Tesla left the village to...