Even if you don’t know what a transformer is chances are you’ve heard them referenced in some capacity or another. The fact is, these electronic components help to make the lives we’ve all grown accustomed to, possible – from laptops to cell phones, video games to power tools, transformers play a vital role.
While the questions, “what is a transformer?” and “what does a transformer do?” can be answered simply by stating that transformers are electrical devices that change (or, transform) electrical voltages from one value to another, much can be learned about them simply by exploring how they work and in what industries they’re used.
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What Is a Transformer?
The short form answer to this question was briefly touched on above, but as with getting familiar with most other technologies, real context is needed to drive understanding. As mentioned above, a transformer does indeed change electrical voltages from one value to another, but it’s perhaps more accurate to say that a transformer allows electricity to transfer from one circuit to another while changing the voltage of the current and leaving the frequency unchanged. Contemporary transformers are designed to use AC voltage, which means that an increase or decrease in the current will result in a commensurate increase or decrease in the voltage, and vice versa.
There is a specific type of transformer that you likely see many, many times each day without pausing to consider their importance: pole mount transformers. These are the grey cylinders mounted high up on utility poles by your home, work, or anywhere else you frequent. They’re used because of the manner in which electricity is delivered. In many cases, electricity must travel very long distances from source to point of use; since less current is required for power to be sent at very high voltages, these transformers are used to reduce the voltage just before it reaches the end consumer.
How Do Electrical Transformers Work?
Fortunately, you don’t need to be an electrical engineer to grasp the principles that allow transformers to function. Transformers are made up of three main components. The core, for instance, is composed of laminated sheets of ferromagnetic material (like iron). In addition to the core, a primary and secondary wired coil are also found within a transformer. When AC current is introduced to the primary wired coil, the result is a pulsating magnetic field.
Electrons within the secondary wired coil begin to move, thanks to the secondary’s close proximity to the primary coil. The result is an electrical current. The ferromagnetic core controls the path of magnetic field between coils to preserve energy. We now know that transformers can increase or decrease voltage; this process of managing the path of the magnetic field helps to achieve that purpose, and it is all based on the number of coils there are on either side of the core. For example, if the primary wired coil contains 5 coils Compared to the secondary wired coil that contains 10, it essentially means that the voltage passing through the transformer will double.
The application of AC current to the primary wired coil creates an alternating fluctuation within the core which in essence links both the primary and secondary wired coils and in so doing, inducing an electromotive force (EMF). The EMF within the secondary wired coil results in a load current.
What Industries Use Transformers?
As you might already be suspecting, transformers are vital to many, many different industries. Having a working knowledge of electronic transformers and circuits and how they work can help lead prospective employees towards many interesting opportunities. Here are just a few examples of the industries that rely on transformer technology.
Automotive Industry: With the popularization of electric vehicles[1] [2] (EV), highly customized transformers are used to charge the batteries of several EVs simultaneously. The transformer also monitors and controls the voltage being dispersed so that it doesn’t have to be regulated.
Electrochemical Industry: Electroplating[3] [4] is the process of coating an object in metal. A negative charge is placed onto the object, and then submerged in a solution that contains a metal salt. The metal salt has positively charged metal ions, which attach to the object’s negative ions. This creates a metallic layer over the object. Electroplating is made possible by rectifier transformers.
Steel Industry: Since the manufacture of steel is energy intensive, customized transformers are used to ensure an uninterrupted and safe supply of high voltage electricity. Reliability is also crucial in the steel industry, making sure that there’s an uninterrupted power supply within a steel plant—something that transformers allow.
Expand Your Learning
Transformers are found in everyday devices, helping to transform voltages from one value to another. While they’re fairly simple mechanisms once you’re able to grasp a basic understanding, they are nonetheless used in some of the manufacturing world’s most challenging and interesting sectors. As an Electronics Technician, you could be tasked with dealing with transformers on a daily basis, so understanding how they function and their applications is crucial.
If you’re interested in the world of electronics, want to become an Electronics Technicians, or you just need to brush up on your current skills, consider looking into George Brown College’s Electronics Technician Program
