When dealing with applications requiring electric circuits, you want to be able to choose the right kind of transformers to transfer electrical energy between your circuits appropriately for the particular purpose in use. There are a lot many different transformer types available, such as power, toroidal, isolation, etc. While all these transformer types are the most basic ones, there’s one that is, although an old one, but is becoming increasingly popular now – the EI transformer.
What makes the EI transformer different?
EI, as the name itself suggests, is a transformer that is combined by the laminations of the shape E and I. The E and I components are stamped from sheets of thin grain-oriented electrical steel that are later stacked to create the core. The primary and secondary windings of this kind of transformer are wound on bobbins, with multiple such bobbins placed on spindles, spin in order to apply the windings. This method of using bobbins allows for automation, which reduces the time of manufacturing, while also providing insulation between the windings and the core. It is very easy and economical to construct such EI transformers, which is the primary reason why EI transformers are becoming so popularly used.
Do EI transformers have any drawbacks?
Just like anything else, even EI transformers, along with their advantages, also have their drawbacks. In the construction of such transformers, as the punched laminations are stacked to form the core structure, small imperfections ad burrs in the butting edges of the laminations, create an effective air gap, which reduces the operating flux levels. Moreover, the loose laminations vibrate at the fundamental frequency, producing a certain amount of mechanical noise.
Why should one use EI transformers?
As you can see, EI transformers prove to be a noisy product with small imperfections in the structure. Why would one want to use such a product then? That’s because there are many tiny, yet beneficial, advantages that one can have with an EI transformer. For instance,
- EI transformers are easy and economical to manufacture.
- EI transformers’ primary resistance is greater.
- EI transformers have lower coupling capacitance between the primary and secondary, thus blocking high frequency common mode noise from main AC.
- EI transformers can mount at multiple points, making it a better choice for equipment that is likely to face a lot of vibration or impact, so that there is lesser chance of the transformer coming loose easily.
An EI transformer is thus a better bet when the weight and size doesn’t matter much; what matters is the cost, the performance, and the other benefits that it offers. An EI transformer is better for low wattage applications, as the stray magnetic field is pretty small, and can be blocked efficient with shielding. So, when you’re looking for performance and pocket-friendliness, rather than the size and weight, it’s EI transformers for you. And, you can get the best quality product at Miracle Electronics, the most reliable EI transformer manufacturer in India, where every product offered is RoHS and REACH compliant, thus ensuring quality and performance.