Power supplies are a crucial aspect of any electrical equipment, providing reliable power to machinery, computers or other technology devices. A power supply changes a source electric current, such as a mains plug, to the correct voltage, frequency and current needed to operate the equipment safely.
A power supply is used to reduce mains or three phase electricity, often at 240 Vac or 440 Vac down to a voltage that is usable, such as 12 Vdc. The PSU also converts the current rating, in the form of AMPS, to a level that is safe for the device that is to be powered.
There are three main types of power supply: unregulated, linear and switch mode.
An unregulated power supply is the most basic type, they typically output a lot of ripple voltage (i.e. rapidly-varying instability) on the DC output power. If the input voltage varies, the output voltage will vary by a proportional amount. The advantage of an unregulated supply is that its affordable, simple, and efficient.A linear power supply is similar in construction to an unregulated power supply, with the advantage of an added transistor circuit to regulate the output to a fixed voltage. A switch mode supply, also known as switching power supply, works by stabilising the mains electricity voltage in order to produce a clean, efficient and stable output voltage.In our complete guide we look at what portable generators are, what they’re used for, as well as the different types that are available on the market.
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