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Electrical Transients

Reference data and engineering information about electrical transients for electrical applications.

electricaltransients

Overview

Engineering reference data for Electrical Transients in electrical engineering.

Key Formulas

Ohm's Law

V=IRV = IR

Voltage = Current × Resistance.

Power

P=VI=I2R=V2/RP = VI = I^2R = V^2/R

Electrical power.

Energy

E=PtE = Pt

Energy = Power × Time.

Variables

Symbol Description Unit
VV Voltage V
II Current A
RR Resistance Ω
PP Power W

Transient Sources

External Sources

External transients are typically caused by lightning strikes on power lines. While distribution transformers can reduce these high-voltage spikes by a factor typically ranging from 1 to 6, the resulting transient reaching internal circuits can still be dangerously high, often exceeding 1000 volts.

Internal Sources

Internal transients originate from switching operations within the equipment itself. A common example is the switching on and off of motors in an internal circuit, which can generate transients with voltage spikes up to 2500 volts.

References