Electrical transformers play an important role in many industrial applications. In fact, the power going to your home must pass through a series of standard transformers before it gets to your air conditioner, refrigerator, or lights. However, equipment like the single and three phase autotransformer are different types of power converters. Here is more about this kind of transformer and some reasons why they are important today.
Transformer Vs. Autotransformer
A typical transformer takes in electricity and lowers or raises the voltage. For instance, when electricity comes to your home, it may have as much as 7200 or more volts, and a transformer changes it to standard 120-volt house current. This takes place between two coils of wire in close proximity to each other. When power passes through one coil, it enters the other coil, and the voltage change is proportional to the number of turns in each coil of wire.
A single or three phase autotransformer has the coils physically connected (unlike standard transformers). The input and output coils both share a common terminal. The other terminal on the output coil is made to be moved so it can contact any point on the input coil. Like standard transformers, autotransformers can raise or lower voltage.
Benefits
The single and three phase autotransformer can be smaller than standard transformers for the same results, and it costs less to create them. This can save you money over conventional or standard transformers. Autotransformers are more efficient to operate, so you use less electrical power for the same work, and they are commonly used for voltage control applications.
Downside
An autotransformer is best used for lowering or raising voltage in smaller increments. For example, if you want to raise the voltage from 120 to 750 volts, you would be better off with a conventional transformer.
