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Commonly used terms in the Electrical industry.
automatic transfer switch
a self-acting switch which transfers one or more load conductor connections from one power source to another.
bypass switch
a manually-operated switch used to connect load conductors when an automatic transfer switch is disconnected.
disconnect switch
a manually operated switching device used to disconnect circuit conductors and their associated load(s) their source of electrical power.
distribution switchboard
a switchboard used in the distribution system, typically within a building.
electronic switch
an electronic circuit that controls analog signals with digitary (binary) signals.
float switch
a switch that is operated by a fluid level in a tank or process channel.
gas insulated switchgear
circuit breakers and switches whose primary insulation is compressed gas.
horsepower-rated switch
a manually operated switching device designed for motor circuit applications. It is designed to interrupt the rated overload current at rated voltage of a motor with a horsepower rating that is less than or equal to the horsepower rating of the switch.
main switch
a switch which controls all power to a building's wiring or other electric installation.
motor operated switch
a switch operated by a motor that is capable of being controlled from a remote location.
sail switch
a device used in control systems that detects the flow of air, or other gas, and causes a relay to open or close as a result of the motion of the sail.
sectionalizing switch
a switch on primary distribution systems used to isolate laterals and segments of main feeder lines. On radial distribution systems, sectionalizing switches are placed to allow rerouting of power to minimize extended outages following a line segment failure.
switch
(1) a device that allows current flow when closed and provides isolation when open. The switch provides similar functions to the circuit breaker, but cannot interrupt fault currents. Some switches are capable of making and breaking load currents, while others are only able to break charging current. Switches can be either manually controlled or motor controlled. See also single-pole single-throw, single-pole double-throw, transmit/receive switch, all-optical switch.
(2) a device comprising a number of input and output ports and circuitry to switch packets from one input port to one or more output ports based on the addressing information contained in the packet header.
switchable shunt
See
shunt capacitor
switchboard
literally, a large panel or board upon switches were mounted in early electrical systems.
switched reluctance machine
a doubly salient, singly excited electrical machine that contains a different number of poles on the stator and rotor. Since there are a different number of poles on the rotor and stator, only one stator phase can be aligned at a time with the rotor.
When operated as a motor, the stator phases are sequentially switched on and off to pull the rotor into alignment with them. This requires knowledge of the rotor position to properly excite the stator phases. The switched reluctance machine can also operate as a generator. In this case the stator windings are charged with a current as the rotor comes into alignment. When the current reaches a determined level, the windings are reconnected to send current out of the machine.
As the rotor is driven, the inductance drops, causing an increase in current.
This type of machine requires an external capacitor bank, switches and diodes in each phase, and a sophisticated control system to operate.
tie switch
a disconnect switch used on feeders and laterals to reconfigure distribution circuits to allow for line maintenance.