An energy meter is a device used for measuring the amount of electrical energy consumed by a load over a certain period of time. This device is essential for recording the electricity usages so that consumers can monitor and change the energy consumption patterns to reduce energy consumption and hence the bill amount. An energy meter is an important link between power supplier and consumers that allows them for efficient measurement of electricity supplied or consumed. What is an Energy Meter? An electrical device or instrument which is used for measuring the amount of electricity consumed by the consumers over ... Read More

This article is meant for explaining the two most widely used visual representations of electrical systems also called electrical diagrams. These diagrams are single-line diagram and multiline diagram. These two diagrams are used in electrical engineering to represent various electrical layouts and connection arrangements of electrical systems. In electrical engineering, the visual/graphical representation of electrical systems like distribution systems, control panels, transmission line, generating stations, etc. is very important to understand the connections of various system components, designing and analyzing electrical systems, and more. In the field of electrical engineering, the following two main types of visual representations are ... Read More

AC (alternating current) and DC (direct current) are two types of electrical current flow. The flow of electrical charge in AC alternates between positive and negative at regular intervals. The flow of electrical charge in DC is just one way, from positive to negative. Batteries, electronic gadgets, and some motors all use direct current. Read this article to find out more about AC Electricity and DC Electricity and how they are different from each other. What is AC Electricity? AC (alternating current) electricity is a form of electrical current flow that alternates between positive and negative at regular intervals. ... Read More

In electronic devices like computers, laptops, and more, power supplies are one of the most important components. Power supplies are essential for efficient and reliable functioning of the electronic devices. In most electronic devices, two types of power supplies are very common namely, SMPS (Switch Mode Power Supply) and LPS (Linear Power Supply). The primary function of both SMPS and linear power supply is the same, i.e. to convert a high voltage AC supply in a low voltage DC supply using an assembly of transformer and rectifier. But they are completely different from each other. The fundamental difference between SMPS ... Read More

A battery charger is used to recharge a battery when it is deeply or entirely discharged. A battery maintainer keeps the battery fully charged and prepared for usage by trickling in a small amount of charge on a regular basis. The amount of current they supply is one of the key differences between a battery charger and a battery maintainer. A battery maintainer maintains the battery's charge over time. While a battery charger often provides a high current output to quickly recharge a battery. Read this article to find out more about battery charger and battery maintainer and how they ... Read More

In an electric circuit, the rate at which the work is being done (or the energy is being expended) is known as electric power. Mathematically, electric power can be defined as the work done (or energy expended) per unit time, i.e., $$\mathrm{Power, \mathit{P}\:=\:\frac{Work\:done\:(\mathit{W})}{Time(\mathit{t})}}$$The unit of electric power is Joules per second.Based on the type of current, the electric power can be of two types viz.: DC power and AC power. The AC power is further classified into three main types as −Apparent power (S)Active power (P)Reactive power (Q)In this article, we will discuss about what the apparent power and the ... Read More

Welding and soldering are widely used in the fabrication industry. Both welding and soldering are used for joining metallic parts by the application of heat. In this article, we will compare welding and soldering by considering various factors like metaling temperature, heat source, use of flux, deformation, etc. But, before discussing about the differences between soldering and welding, it is advantageous to get the basic details of welding and soldering.What is Welding?A fabrication process which is used to join materials (metals or thermoplastics) by the application of high heat to melt the parts together and allowing them to cool, causing ... Read More

The rate of work done in an electric circuit is known as electric power. In an electric circuit, there are three types of electric powers viz. active power, reactive power and apparent power. In this article, we will discuss the major differences between active power and reactive power. What is Active Power? In an AC or DC electric circuit, the amount of electric power which is utilized and consumed in doing a work is called active power. Active power is also known as real power or true power. Active power is usually represented by the letter ‘P’ and is ... Read More

An electrical device which converts light energy into electrical energy through the photovoltaic effect is known as photovoltaic cell or PV cell or solar cell. A photovoltaic cell is basically a specially designed p-n junction diode.Construction and Working of Photovoltaic CellThe construction of a photovoltaic cell is shown in the following figure.A photovoltaic cell consists of a base metal plate and it is made of either steel or aluminum over which a metallic selenium layer is situated which is light sensitive and acts as the positive terminal.An electrically conducting layer of cadmium oxide is applied by sputtering over the selenium ... Read More

LED LampAn optoelectronic device which emits light based on the principle of electroluminescence is known as LED (Light Emitting Diode) lamp.Electroluminescence is the emission of light due to the interaction of an electric field with a suitable solid. It was noticed in 1962 that a forward biased gallium-arsenide junction was found to be an efficient emitter of radiation.In case of electroluminescent p-n junctions, when biased in the forward direction, some of the energy dissipated is converted into light and hence, these are also called as semi-conductor lamps.Construction of LED LampFor the construction of LED lamps, following semiconductor materials are used ... Read More