A typical low-voltage variable-frequency drive. Industrial facilities commonly use variable-frequency drives (VFDs) to control the speed at which alternating current motors operate. Let’s examine a ...

Now that autos are moving toward high-powered battery voltage, the industry is turning new attention toward making sure the flow can stop on a dime when needed. Power management company Eaton Corp.

There are many circuits for low voltage regulators. For higher voltages, such as supplies for valve circuits, the situation is different. That’s why we decided to design this simple regulator that can ...

This article is part of the Ideas for Design Series: Vol. 3, No. 8. This circuit builds on a previous idea in which the addition of an optocoupler to a microcontroller output converted a “dumb” ...

An electrical fuse box and a circuit breaker panel interrupt faults differently, shaping safety exposure, maintenance risk, upgrade limits, and long-term reliability. The wrong choice can quietly turn ...

I continue to be surprised by how many equipment designers are confused by UL circuit protection standards. In trying to meet conflicting standards, engineers may actually decrease the level of ...

Note: This article is based on the 2011 NEC. Article 430 provides the requirements for electric motors while Art. 440 offers amended and additional requirements for hermetic motors, such as those used ...

Circuit breakers now sport advanced features that include remote control and operational status reporting. Engineers have long considered circuit protection a stable if somewhat unglamorous area.