353 articles
Breaker failure protection
Breaker failure protection, designated ANSI/IEEE device 50BF, detects when a circuit breaker fails to interrupt fault current after a trip command and then trips adjacent breakers to isolate the fault.
Brownout (electricity)
A brownout is a sustained drop in supply voltage below its normal level without a full outage, named for dimmed lights, caused by grid stress or deliberate utility reductions to prevent blackout.
BS 1363
BS 1363, defining the type G plug, is the British Standard for the UK's 13 A fused plug and shuttered socket-outlet system, introduced in 1947 and used in Britain, Ireland, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Bundled conductors
Bundled conductors are phases of overhead transmission lines made of several subconductors spaced apart and acting as one, common on extra-high-voltage lines to reduce corona, power loss, and audible noise.
Busbar
A busbar is a low-impedance electrical conductor, typically a copper or aluminum bar, that lets one incoming power source feed many outgoing circuits, used in switchgear, panelboards, and substations.
Bushing (electrical)
An electrical bushing is an insulated structure that carries a high-voltage conductor through a grounded barrier, such as a transformer tank or wall, while insulating it from ground.
C4-FN gas mixture
C4-FN gas mixture is an insulating and arc-quenching gas blending a small share of fluoronitrile C₄F₇N with CO₂ to replace sulfur hexafluoride in high-voltage switchgear.
Cable ampacity
Cable ampacity, a contraction of ampere capacity, is the maximum continuous current a power cable can carry without overheating its insulation, and it depends on the installation environment.
Cable burial
Cable burial is the practice of burying submarine cables in the seabed to protect them from anchors and fishing gear, usually with a sea plow towed behind a cable ship.
Cable cleat
A cable cleat is a device attached to a mounting surface that secures cables at intervals and, where the manufacturer declares it, resists electromechanical forces during a short circuit.
Cable condition monitoring
Cable condition monitoring is the measurement of electrical, thermal, and mechanical quantities on power cables in service, detecting insulation degradation and developing faults so maintenance can be scheduled before failure.
Cable crossing
A cable crossing is a point where a power cable route passes beneath or over an obstacle it cannot run alongside, such as a road, railway, waterway, or another cable.
Cable drum
A cable drum, also called a cable reel, is a cylindrical spool that electrical cable is wound onto for transport, storage, and controlled pay-off during installation.
Cable fault location
Cable fault location is the process of pinpointing where an underground electrical cable has failed, so crews can excavate and repair one spot instead of replacing the whole run.
Cable induced voltage
Cable induced voltage is a voltage induced on a power cable's sheath, screen, or armor by electromagnetic coupling with load currents, and managed through sheath bonding design.
Cable joint
A cable joint, or cable splice, connects separate lengths of power cable and restores the full construction, conductor, insulation, field control, and screen continuity, but is a leading failure point in underground networks.
Cable laying vessel
A cable laying vessel, also called a cable ship or cable layer, is a specialized ship that installs and repairs submarine fiber-optic and high-voltage power cables on the seabed.
Cable sheath earthing
Cable sheath earthing, also called sheath bonding or grounding, is the practice of earthing a power cable's metallic sheath at chosen points, balancing circulating-current losses against standing-voltage hazards through schemes like cross-bonding.
Cable termination
A cable termination is an accessory fitted to the end of an insulated power cable so the conductor can be safely connected to switchgear, transformers, or overhead lines.
Cable trench
A cable trench is an excavated channel in which electrical power or communication cables are laid and then backfilled, the standard pathway for underground circuits.
Capacitor bank
A capacitor bank is an assembly of power capacitor units connected in series or parallel to deliver reactive power, improving voltage profiles and power factor in power systems.
Capacitor bank switching
Capacitor bank switching is the energizing and de-energizing of shunt capacitor banks, unloaded lines, and cables on AC systems, managed to control restrike overvoltages and inrush currents.
Capacitor voltage transformer
A capacitor voltage transformer (CVT), also called a coupling capacitor voltage transformer, measures high transmission voltages via a capacitor divider and can carry power-line carrier signals.
Cascaded H-bridge converter
The cascaded H-bridge (CHB) converter is a multilevel power converter that synthesizes a medium-voltage AC output from series-connected H-bridge cells, used mainly in motor drives, STATCOMs, and large solar plants.
Cascading failure (power system)
A cascading failure in a power system is the uncontrolled successive loss of equipment such as transmission lines or generators, where each failure overloads others until the outage stops or becomes a widespread blackout.
CEI 23-50
CEI 23-50 is the Italian standard for household plugs and socket-outlets, issued by the Comitato Elettrotecnico Italiano, defining the Type L plug in 10 A and 16 A ratings.
Celilo converter station
Celilo converter station near The Dalles, Oregon, is the northern terminal of the 846-mile Pacific DC Intertie, converting Northwest hydropower to direct current for transmission to Los Angeles, California.
Changji converter station
Changji converter station, also called Zhundong, is the sending-end rectifier station of the ±1100 kV, 12,000 MW Changji-Guquan UHVDC link in Xinjiang, China, operating since 2019.
Clearance (electric power)
Clearance in electric power is the minimum required separation between energized conductors and the ground, buildings, vegetation, or people, set by codes like the NESC.
Coal Creek converter station
The Coal Creek converter station is the rectifier terminal of the CU HVDC system at Coal Creek Station near Underwood, North Dakota, sending 1,000 MW to Minnesota since 1978.