Entertainment Electricity: I was once working on a film set when a feeder transformer began behaving badly. A supplier had dropped off a generator and the transformer, and after they were both connected and energized, but before any load was even connected, much less turned on, the transformer was humming loudly. In my experience, that could mean one of two things: either the transformer has a high harmonic load, or it is dying a long, slow death. Since there was no load connected in this case, it seemed apparent that this particular transformer was not long for this world.
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It was really interesting to learn about large scale electrical apparatus- most of my knowledge on electrical components is small scale, such as breadboards, resistors, LEDs, etc.
I had heard about transformers in physics class before, but didn’t know what a “feeder transformer” was. A feeder transformer is an intermediary piece of equipment that takes electricity from a transmission line and “feeds” it to a transformer. The transformer steps down the AC voltage so that it is safe for residential use, or in our case for theatres!
I thought the author for this article was pretty funny. I liked his quips about the technician that came in, who was a “specialist” in generators and transformers, and yet had no “super-secret trick” up his sleeve to find the issues for a dying transformer.
I also was interested in the term “de-energizing” a transformer. Apparently it just means disconnecting it from any and all loads, which allows you to inspect the transformer for safety. I learned I should definitely get some new tools in my belt– perhaps an infrared sensor??
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