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Energy & Renewables vocabulary · Grid, Transmission and Distribution

Transformer

Meaning in energy & renewables, with examples

/trænsˈfɔːrmər/nounCore term

In energy & renewables, transformer means: A device that raises or lowers the voltage of alternating current. Transformers make long-distance transmission possible and bring the voltage down to safe levels for users.

In Turkish: transformatör, trafo

How it is used

Found everywhere in the grid: power transformers in substations, distribution transformers on poles or in kiosks, step-up transformers at power plants. They are rated in kVA or MVA and can overheat, fail or be overloaded. Long delivery times for large units often delay projects.

Example sentences

  1. The step-up transformer raises the voltage from 33 kV to 154 kV.

  2. Delivery of the main transformer is now expected in March.

Common collocations

  • step-up transformer
  • power transformer
  • distribution transformer
  • transformer rating
  • transformer failure
  • substationA site with transformers, switches and protection equipment where voltage is raised or lowered and power flows are switched between lines.
  • high voltageA voltage level used to move electricity efficiently over long distances, such as 154 kV or 380 kV. The exact limits of low, medium and high voltage differ between standards.
  • distribution networkThe lower-voltage part of the power system that takes electricity from substations and delivers it through local lines and cables to homes and businesses.
  • transmission lineA high-voltage power line, usually on tall steel towers, that carries large amounts of electricity over long distances from power plants to substations.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Grid, Transmission and Distribution

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