Electrical Engineers and Master Electricians (EEAME) Portal

Dictionary of Electrical Engineering

Commonly used terms in the Electrical industry.

an induction motor test conducted with the shaft held so it cannot rotate. Typically about 25% of rated voltage is applied, often at reduced frequency and the current is measured. The results are used to determine the winding impedances referred to the stator.

boiling water reactor

a nuclear reactor from which heat is transferred in the form of high-pressure steam.

branch circuit

the three components of an electrical circuit are source, load, and interconnecting circuit conductors. A branch circuit is an electrical circuit designed to deliver power to the lowest-order load(s) served on a facility. It includes the overcurrent device, circuit conductors, and the load itself.

branch current

the current in a branch of a circuit.

branch line coupler

coupler comprised of four transmission lines, each of 90. electrical length, arranged in a cascaded configuration with the end of the last transmission line section connected to the beginning of the first transmission line to form a closed path. The input, coupled, direct, and isolated ports are located at the connection point of one transmission line with the next one.

branch voltage

the voltage across a branch of a circuit.

broadband integrated services digital network (B-ISDN)

a generic term that generally refers to the future network infrastructure that will provide ubiquitous availability of integrated voice, data, imagery, and video services.

brushless DC motor

See electronically commutated machine

brushless exciter

See rotating-rectifier exciter

brushless rotary flux compressor

a rotating machine designed to deliver pulsed output (1 MJ in 100 µs). The stator coils are excited by an external capacitor bank. The rotor is a salient structure that compresses the flux resulting in amplification of the electric pulse, by converting the rotating kinetic energy of the rotor to electrical energy.

bundle spacer

a rigid structure which is used to maintain the spacing of wires in a bundled conductor on an overhead electric power transmission line.

See bundle

bundled services

utility services which are sold together, like power transmission and distribution services in non-deregulated electric utilities.

bus admittance matrix

See Y-bus

bus impedance matrix

See Z-bus

bypass switch

a manually-operated switch used to connect load conductors when an automatic transfer switch is disconnected.

common symbol for speed of light in free space. c = 3 x 10¹⁰ cm/s.

C-band

microwave frequency range, 3.95-5.85 Ghz.

C-element

a circuit used in an asynchronous as an interconnect circuit. The function of this circuit is to facilitate the handshaking communication protocol between two functional blocks.

cable

an assembly of insulated conductors, either buried or carried on poles (aerial cable).