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June 14, 2009

Five Life Cycle Stages of Transformers and Inductors

Image: Flickr user Graffiti Land

The US EPA http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/wire-cable/wirecable-factsheet.pdf life cycle factsheet for wire and cable outlines the four following stages for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA):

* Raw material extraction or acquisition and material processing;
* Product manufacture;
* Product use/maintenance; and
* End-of-life disposition.

When dealing with transformers and inductors, we find it helpful to call attention to an additional stage:

* Re-manufacturing/downcycling

The re-manufacturing/downcycling stage fits into the chronology after Product use/maintenance and before End-of-life disposition. It's important for designers to be aware of the re-manufacturing/downcycling stage early in the product development process.

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May 19, 2009

Copper Winding or Aluminum?

Image: Flickr user Athena's Armoury

What factors do engineers consider when they specify aluminum or copper windings?

A high percentage of low voltage transformers rated 15 KVA or larger use aluminum windings. Osborne's utility industry clients report that nearly all new service entrance connections at commercial industrial facilities use aluminum conductors. The technology has become commonplace over the past 30 years. Price is an important factor in the rise in popularity of aluminum.

Aluminum commodity prices have been lower than copper in recent years. The result is that aluminum windings have an economic advantage for many applications.

Engineers should not allow raw material costs to overshadow other important points of comparison such as circuit performance and energy efficiency.

More points to consider:

Characteristic: Aluminum Copper
Thermal Conductivity: 0.57 (Cal/s-cm-K) 0.94 (Cal/s-cm-K)
Electrical Resistivity: 2.69 (X 10^8, Ohm-m) 1.673 (X 10^8, Ohm-m)
Coefficient of Expansion: 23.5 (X 10^6, 1/Deg.C) 17.0 (X 10^6, 1/Deg.C)
Tensile Strength 12,000 (lb/in)^2 32,000 (lb/in)^2

Source: "Electronic Engineers Handbook", Donald G. Fink, McGraw-Hill, 1997.

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May 12, 2009

Michigan Green Jobs Report 2009

Van Jones image from Flickr user andrea.kerbuski.

This week the State of Michigan released a 2009 Green Jobs Report.

Click here to download the report (link at bottom).

The report offers a number of recommendations. Please add remote collaboration to the top of that list. Technology transfers, both into and out of the State, will be essential to a vibrant green economy in Michigan.

There are viable and green economic models emerging in all corners of the US. Additionally, some of the most sophisticated sustainable business practices and experimentation are happening outside the US; most notably in the European Union, Japan, and Australia.

Michigan's green economy will grow along with the global green economy. With investment in remote collaboration technologies, Michigan can become a vital source and destination for the best green innovations.

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December 28, 2006

Advantages for Repairing a Transformer

The process of repairing transformers can be a dirty job. But tearing down a transformer can be very educational and technically rewarding. I recently had the opportunity of disassembling a defective transformer for a local utility. This transformer is part of a 1950's vintage transmitter used to locate "system faults" on a 4,800 volt distribution system.

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