Essays on Alternating Current

A DC circuit consists of a source (e.g. battery or power supply) and a load (e.g. light bulb or electronic instrument). The electrons move from the negative terminal of the source, towards the load and then return to the positive terminal of the source, i.e. the electrons flow in only one direction . This movement of electrons will continue as long as there is a closed circuit. In contrast, the source in the AC circuit is constantly changing. The voltage of the source builds up and electrons flow through the circuit in the same way as for the DC circuit. ...

Solar energy harnessing through the use of solar panels installed in small homes presents better alternative to the hydroelectric provided through the national grid. While the use of solar panels may provide several advantages over the use of hydroelectricity, its usage presents several pitfalls to the user. It is imperative to investigate and outline the possible costs and advantages associated with the use of solar panels as a source of harnessing solar energy before installation is started. In most cases, the decisions concerning the installation of solar panels as the primary source of electricity are normally based on the ...

Introduction

Taking measurements may require the conversion of the measured quantity to electrical quantity. Transducers are devices or elements that perform this function by transforming physical quantities such as quantities like sound, light, or temperature into electrical signals like current, voltage, or capacity. Transducers consist of inputs, sensing elements, transduction elements, signal processing, and electrical outputs. The inputs known as the measurands are the quantities, states, or properties that are to be translated into electrical outputs. The sensing elements accurately measure these input energies and sends the information to the transduction elements to be transformed into the desired form. The ...

Abstract

Permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM) are a type of motors that have permanent magnets mounted on the rotors instead of the rotor windings. This particular design gives the motor a few advantages over ordinary induction synchronous motors. The magnets attached to the rotor do not require excitation, which reduces the power consumption in PMSM. This gives the motor high operational efficiency and reduces the motor active diameter. PMSM are therefore associated with applications that require high torque but have limited operation space. The permanent magnets suffer from flux leakage and are therefore aligned in a pattern that minimizes flux ...

Re: extended definition of solar power and nuclear power

Purpose This memo is an extended definition of solar power and nuclear power as sources of energy. Introduction Solar power is energy from the sun. This energy is harnessed by collecting sunlight and converting it to electricity (Winter et al. 4). The cells found in the solar panels make this conversion possible. The conversion of sunlight to electricity can either be done indirectly by the use of a concentrated solar panel or directly by use of the photovoltaic cell. Nuclear power, on the other hand, utilizes nuclear reactions to produce nuclear energy (Murray 495). This energy is found in ...

Biography

Nikola Tesla was born on July 10, 1856 in Smiljan, Croatia, as a fourth child to parents Milutin Tesla and Djuka Mandic. His father was a Serbian Orthodox Priest while his mother was an inventor of household appliances. Although pressured by his father to join the priesthood, Tesla was mostly interested in sciences. His calling was towards electrical engineering, for which he studied at the Polytechnic Institute in Graz, Austria, the Realschule, Karlstadt and the University of Prague. Tesla moved to Budapest and began his career working with a telephone company in 1881 and it was during this time ...

Solving Social Problems: Solar Energy in Rural India

The developing world grapples with the lack of access to electricity. Third world countries have poor electrical infrastructure which is still in the nascent stages of development. As a result, majority of people, especially those living in rural areas, have no access to electricity. The reach of the electrical grid in countries is limited to towns, and the poor who have access to electrical power supply suffer frequent and prolonged power blackouts. As a result, people in such countries result to unclean and unhealthy means of lighting, such as kerosene and diesel generators. The kerosene lamps cause respiratory problems ...

Introduction

Hanging to death with a thick rope was the way executions were carried out in the United States until the first execution with an electric chair in 1890 (Browning, 1995). A pivotal moment was when a report by two scientists was submitted to the New York Medico-Legal board on Dec. 5, 1988 with their results that Alternating Current (AC) was the best type of current to use for executions (Browning, 1995). AC works faster and needs a lower voltage to kill a human being than direct current (DC).

Discussion

The national standard for electricity was yet to be chosen in before 1988. Thomas ...