Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineers, abbreviated as EE, design, develop, test, and supervise the manufacturing of electrical equipment. Electrical & Electronic engineers design things such as power systems, electronics/microelectronics, signal processing, instrumentation & control systems, computers, and computer networks.
Abbreviations
- ELEC - electric
- ELECDR - electric drive
- EMD - electric motor driven
- EPS - electric power supply
- ELECT - electrical
- ER - electrical resistance
- ELEK - electronic
- ELECTC - electronic control
- EI - electronic interface
- ES - electronic switch
- EVM - electronic voltmeter
- ELMCH - electromechanical
- EE - Electrical Engineer
Electrical Engineering Subtopics
Electrical Engineering |
|
Electric Wire Materials
- Copper electrical wire - Copper (Cu) is considered the standard in wiring. Most homes and appliances use copper for two reasons. It is easy to mold or bend and it is a good conductor. Copper is rather easy to come by but not as easy as other conductor metals.
- Aluminum electrical wire - Aluminum (Al) is also easy to mold and bend but less of a conductor than copper. If you decide to use aluminum wire that will carry the same amount of electricity as a copper wire, the wire needs to have a larger diameter. Since aluminum is more abundant than copper, it makes it the cheaper of the two.
- Silver electrical wire - Silver (Ag) is the best conductor of electricity for high temperatures. However, it is hard to bend and expensive.
- Alloys in electrical wire - In manufacturing, an alloy may sometimes be used. Aluminum and copper can be used for cost and conductibility.
Area Classification Drawing List
Electrical Engineering Associations
Professional Engineering Licence
- Look here for where to find Professional Engineering Licences
Nomenclature & Symbols for Engineering, Mathematics, and Science
- See A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z
electrical Nomenclature & Symbols
- \( S_2 \) = 2-way switch
- \( S_3 \) = 3-way switch
- \( AC \) = Alternating current
- \( Amp \) = Ampere
- \( C \) = Capacitance or capacity
- \( X_c \) = Capacitive reactance
- \( T_c \) = Capacitive time constant
- \( Q \) = Capacitor quality factor
- \( CR \) = Card reader
- \( CB \) = Circuit breaker
- \( G \) = Conductance
- \( DC \) = Direct current
- \( DB \) = Distress button
- \( F \) = Fire alarm pull box
- \( Q \) = Electric charge
- \( G \) = Electric conductivity
- \( I \) = Electric current
- \( J \) = Electric current density
- \( EL \) = Electric door latch
- \( ES \) = Electric door strike
- \( E \) = Electric field
- \( \phi_e \) (Greek symbol phi) = Electric flux
- \( Q \) = Electric load
- \( \eta \) (Greek symbol eta) = Electric performance
- \( P \) = Electric power
- \( R \) = Electric resistance
- \( W \) = Electric work
- \( f \) = Frequency
- \( GFCI \) = Ground fault circuit interrupt outlet
- \( Z \) = Impedance
- \( L \) = Inductance
- \( V_l \) = Inductive load voltage
- \( X_l \) = Inductive reactance
- \( T_l \) = Inductive time constant
- \( J \) = Junction box
- \( KE \) = Kinetic energy
- \( KB \) = Knox box - fire department keys
- \( L_x \) = Light
- \( d \) = Lost capacitor coefficient
- \( d \) = Lost coils inductors coefficient
- \( L_m \) = Luminous flow
- \( c_d \) = Luminous efficency
- \( c_d \) = Luminous intensity
- \( NC \) = Normally closed
- \( NO \) = Normally open
- \( ML \) = Magnetic door lock
- \( ME \) = Mechanical energy
- \( M \) = Mutual inductance
- \( PB \) = Panic button
- \( T \) = Period
- \( \delta \), \(\; \phi \) (Greek symbol delta, phi) = Phase constant
- \( PE \) = Potential energy
- \( P \) = Power
- \( \omega \) (Greek symbol omega) = Pulsation
- \( Q \) = Quality factor of the coils inductors
- \( SD \) = Smoke detector
- \( S \) = Switch
- \( S_DIM \) = Switch with built-in dimmer
- \( TCR \), \(\; RTC \) = Temperature coefficient of resistance
- \( \rho \) (Greek symbol rho) = Resistivity
- \( L \) = Self inductance
- \( T \) = Temperature
- \( TX \) = Transmitter
- \( \epsilon_0 \) (Greek symbol epsilon) = Vacuum permitivity
- \( V \), \(\; E \) = Voltage
- \( VCR \) = Voltage coefficient of resistance
- \( VD \) = Voltage drop
- \( \lambda \) (Greek symbol lambda) = Wavelength
- \( WP \) = Weatherproof outlet
Electrical Terms
- See A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z
A
- Actuator - A device used to open, close, or control valves.
- Alternating current - An electric current that reverses its direction over and over.
- Alternator - A device which converts mechanical energy into electrical energy used to maintain a charge in a car battery.
- American Wire Gauge - A measure of wire thickness.
- Ammeter - An instrument for measuring the flow of electrical current in amperes.
- Amp - Amp is a unit of current.
- Amphere - A unit of measure for the flow of current in a circuit.
- Amplifier - A device that amplifies a relatively small input signal.
- Analog - Analog or analogue is a continuous electronic variable signal caring information.
- Analog switch - A switching device able to rought analog signals.
- Arcing time of fuse - After the breaking of a fuse wire there will be arcing between both melted tips of the wire which will be extinguished at the current zero.
B
- Battery - A storage device for energy and then discharge. Batteries can be rated by their energy capacity.
- Breaker - An automatic switching device that disconnect the power to a circut when the current or heat exceeds a certain level for a certain amount of time.
- Broadband - A transmission medium with enough bandwith to cary multiple channels, data, video and voice at the same time.
- Buffer - An autio signal device.
C
- Capacitor - Behaves as a charge storage device. Holds an electric charge when voltage is applied across it and gives up the stored charge when required.
- Capacitance - The ability to hold an electric charge.
- Cartridge fuse - The fuse wire is enclosed in a transparent glass bulge or tube completely sealed.
- Cell - Cells generate energy through a thermal process, chemical or optical.
- Charge - Causes objects to feel an attraction or repulsive force toward one another.
- Circuit - A closed loop through which electricity can flow. The flow of current is from positive to negative.
- Conductivity - The amount of current that a material can conduct.
- Conductor - A material through which heat passes.
- Contacts - Components
- Coulomb's law - The magnitude of the electrostatic force between two electric charges.
- Current - The rate of flow of electricity in a circuit, measured in amperes.
- Current density - The amount of electric current flow through a unit value of the area cross-section.
- Current rating of fuse - The maximum value of current due to which fuse does not melt.
D
- Daniell cell - A copper vessel containing copper sulfate solution.
- Diode - A device allowing the current to flow as a one-way switch only and restricting the current from flowing in the opposite direction. Diodes allow the current to flow when the anode is positive and the cathode is negative.
- Diode bridge - A combination of four diodes that are connected togeather
- Diode types - avalanche diode, laser diode, light emitting diode, photodiode, PIN diode, PN junction diode, schottky diode, tunnel diode, varactor diode, and zener diode.
- Direct current (DC) - An electric current that flows in only one direction.
E
- Electrolyte - A compound that produces ions when dissolved in water and having either a positive of negative charge.
- Electromagnetism - A branch of physics that deals with the motion of electric currents and magnetic fields.
F
- Field - An invisible space around a charged particle where an electric force is exerted on other charged particles.
- Flux - How much of something goes through a given area.
- Forward biased diode - The external voltage which is applied across the PN-diode for reducing the potential barrier to constitute the easy flow of current.
- Frequency - The number of cycles per sec, measured in Hertz.
- Fuse - An safety device that removes electrical current from a circuit when the current is two high.
- Fuse law - The current carring capacity of a fuse wire.
- Fuse wire - Can carry the normal current without excessive load, but with to much load it rapidly heats up and melts.
- Fuse wire materials - Mainly aluminum, antimony, copper, lead, silver, tin, and zinc.
- Fusing factor - The ratio of minimum fusing current and current rating of the fuse.
G
- Generator - A mechanical device that produces electrical energy from mechanical energy.
H
- Hertz - A measure of frequency or cps (cycles per second).
- Horsepower - A measure of power or the rate of doing work.
I
-
Inductance - The measure of an electric conductor or circuit by which an electromotive force is induced in it.
- Inductor - An energy storage device which stores energy in the form of a magnetic field.
J
- Joule’s law - The amount of heat (energy) delivered to something.
K
- Kinetic energy - The energy in moving objects or mass. If it moves, it has kinetic energy.
L
- Led - Emits energy in the form of light instead of energy.
M
- Magnetic field - Magnetic fields never cross, never start or stop, where the field is strongest lines bunch togeather and can be seen clearly seen in the real world.
- Magnetic flux (\(\phi\) or \(\phi_B\)) - The number of magnetic field lines passing through a given closed surface.
- Magnetic switch - Depending on the switch configuration for on and off, the switch is activated when the magnetic field is detected.
- Mechanical energy - The sum of the change in kinetic energy and potential energy generating from the force of gravity, external forces or the movement released in machine movement.
- Melting time of fuse - The time taken by a fuse wire to get broken by melting.
- Minimum fuse current - The minimum value of current due to which fuse ments. Can carry the normal current without excessive load, but with to much load it rapidly heats up and melts.
- Motor - Converts the electric energy to mechanical energy.
- Mutual inductance - The inductance of a coil due to current in another nearby coil.
N
- Normally closed - The circuit is closed when the switch is not open.
- Normally open - The circuit is open when the switch is not operated.
O
- Ohm - A unit of resistance.
- Ohm's law - The relationships between power, voltage, current, and resistance.
- Operating time of fuse - The time gap between the instant when the overall current starts to flow through the fuse and the instant when the arc in the fuse finally gets extinguished.
- Operational amplifier - A voltage amplifier with very high gain.
P
- Phase constant - How much displacement a wave is from an equilibrium or zero position.
- Primary cell - A dry cell and not a rechargeable cell. A chemical reaction between electrodes and electrolites causing a permanent change.
- Parrallel circuit - The parts are arranged in branches each going their own way.
- Potential energy - The possessed energy by a body due to its relative position in a gravitational field
- Power - The rate of doing work and is measured by the amount of foot pounds of work done in a particular unit of time.
- Preset resistor - The resistance is adjusted with rotary control pressure on top with a screw driver.
- Prospective current in fuse - The value of current which would flow through the fuse immediately after a short circiut occures in the network.
Q
R
- Rectifier - An electrical device that convert alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC).
- Resistance - The ability to resist or prevent the flow of current.
- Resistor - Resist the flow of electricity.
- Reverse biased diode - The external voltage which is applied to the PN junction for strengthening the potential barrier and prevents the flow of current.
S
- Secondary cell - A wet cell and is a rechargable cell. Generates a current through a secondary cell in the opposite direction of the first cell.
- Self inductance - The inductance of a coil or inductor due to its own current.
- Semiconductor - A type of material that has an electronic resistance between the metal and the resistance insulator.
- Series circuit - The parts are connected end to end.
- Shockley diode - Has fast switching operation.
- Shunt - Also called a shunt resistor, is a conductor joining two points in a circuit used to limit the speed of the current.
- Solenoid - A device made of a coil of wire. When current is introduced a magnetic field is formed around the coil (electrical energy) and the plunger is pulled in (mechanical work). When the current is removed the plunger is released.
- Switch - A device that opens and closes electrical circuit.
T
- Temperature coefficient of resistance - The change in resistance with applied voltage.
- Thermal insulator - Does not conduct heat readily and is used for either heat conservation or personnel protection.
- Transformer - A device that uses electromagnetism to convert one current to another current.
- Transducer - A voltage output device used for convert energy to another form.
- Transmitter - A current output device used for communication electronic signals over a distance.
- Tuner - A circuit that can pick signals from a frequency from a group of signals of different frequencies.
U
V
- Varactor diode - The capacitance varies according to the applied input voltage.
- Variable capacitor - Used in tuning the circuit to a required frequency.
- Variable indicator - Allows the value of the inductance to be changed.
- Volt - A unit of electrical pressure.
- Voltage - The amount of pressure that will cause one ampere of current in one ohm of resistance.
- Voltage coefficient of resistance - The change in resistance with applied voltage.
- Voltage drop - When the voltage at the end of the cable is less than the beginning of the cable.
W
X
Y
Z
- See A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z
Tags: Equations for Electrical