Copper loss is the heat or energy wasted when an electric current passes through a coil or winding in an electrical device. This results in a small loss of power in the device and is calculated using Joule heating. Copper loss is not preventable and occurs in devices such as transformers and light bulbs.
Copper loss refers to the amount of heat or energy wasted when an electric current travels through a coil or winding in an electrical device. A common example are coils found within a transformer winding that are made from copper or aluminum and allow an electric current to pass through them. Even if the winding is not copper, the process is still called copper loss.
Transformers and other electrical devices pass electric currents through them to move the current into a different circuit. During this energy transfer, some of the energy is released as heat. Copper loss is referred to as the loss of this energy because the heat given off is not used by the device and simply dissipates into the surrounding air.
The copper loss event is undesirable but not currently preventable. The heat lost in this way results in a small loss of power in the device. In a perfect situation, all of the energy would be used in the electrical device and since no energy would be lost, the device could transfer more energy at a faster rate. While the energy loss is quite small, the amount increases in proportion to several factors related to the electrical device.
Joule heating is a term that describes the heat lost during transfers like this. A man named James Prescott Joule performed several experiments which led him to determine a formula for calculating the amount of heat that will be lost during a transfer. To calculate the amount lost, the person would need to square the amount of current – expressed in a measurement known as amperes – currently moving through the device and multiply that number by the amount of resistance – expressed in ohms – from the device itself. Once the person finds these numbers and works out the formula, he/she will know the copper loss for a specific device in watts.
A person experiences copper leakage on a daily basis when using a light bulb in their home. As current moves through the bulb, it encounters a certain level of resistance. If he were to find out how strong the current is, square that number, and multiply it by how strong the resistance is, he could find out his light bulb’s copper loss in watts.
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