These Transformers Aren't For Kids
A transformer? Isn't that the toy that changes from a spaceship to a robot
superhero or something?
Well, yes and no. There are
toys called Transformers but the transformers we're talking about aren't
playthings. The transformers that Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative and
other utilities use are even more powerful and remarkable, however, when you
consider the job they do.
Distribution transformers
reduce voltage for delivering electricity to consumers, normally 240/120 volts
for most services. It is not usual to find one rated 1,000 kilovolt amperes (kva)
or more serving a large user. A transformer for a new home is usually rated
10-15 kva (roughly 10 or 15 horsepower).
Transformers vary in size
and style but the most common type of distribution transformer, the can-shaped
steel tanks often seen near the cross-arms of a utility pole, contain thousands
of feet of wire coiled around a special laminated steel core. The tank is filled
with insulating oil.
The pole-mounted can is
easily recognized but "pad-mounted" transformers, called that because
they are mounted on concrete pads, are found in many neighborhoods where co-op
power is delivered through underground lines. Pad-mounted transformers are
housed in large, green box-shaped metal cabinets.
Teach your children never to
play around these transformers, or any type of electrical equipment, but don't
let that be the only lesson. The next time you're riding along the highway and
see a transformer on a co-op pole, share what you've learned. Who knows, you may
have a future co-op lineworker or engineer in the family!