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Home > Community > Education > Glossary
There are many words in the electricity and water industries that are not easy to understand. Use this glossary to help out.
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The Ampere is the unit of quantity of electric current.
A means of storing electric energy by chemical means. Consists of one or more “cells” each containing an anode, cathode and electrolyte.
The complete path of an electric current.
The general term to describe a mechanical device that breaks the flow of current when it exceeds a set amount. Circuit breakers vary from the small low voltage units found in domestic switchboards, to large outdoor units installed in high voltage switchyards.
A group of electrically charged particles. Can be either positive or negative. Positive particles repel each other, just as negative particles repel each other. Positive particles are attracted to negative particles. Lightning is caused by accumulated charges that are attracted to opposite charges.
Materials which allow electric current to flow freely. Metals are generally good conductors, other materials are not.
The flow of electrons. Water flowing in a pipe is also current. Voltage is required to make electricity flow, just as water pressure is required to make water flow.
The lines, cables, substations, transformers and other equipment connected together to transport electric energy from our power stations to homes and industry. Distribution systems operate at voltages from low voltage (230 volts) to high voltages up to 22kV.
The percentage of electrical energy generated at a power station that is delivered to customers. Power flowing through cables and overhead conductors heats them up, causing losses. Designing of distribution system trades off the higher cost of larger cables against the cost of losses.
For alternating current electricity, the number of cycles occurring in each second. Referred to as “Hertz”. In Australia and Europe 50 Hertz (Hz) is used, while 60 Hz is used in the USA and much of SE Asia.
A protective device which limits the amount of current in an electrical circuit. Consisting of a piece of metal wire that melts and breaks the circuit when the current exceeds the fuse rating. Fuses are normally contained inside a fuse “cartridge” consisting of a porcelain tube with metal end caps, and filled with an inert powder.
A machine for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. Most generators produce alternating current (eg power stations) but direct current generators are also made (older cars, mobile welders).
The general term for a generator connected to an engine of some kind. The engine can be a turbine (see definition below), a reciprocating engine, or an electric motor driven by a battery.
A material (such as plastic or glass) that does not permit electricity to pass through it readily.
A transmission line or group of transmission lines that connects the transmission networks in adjacent regions.
Equal to 1000 watts of electricity.
Measurement of electrical energy equal to one kilowatt of power produced or used in one hour.
The flash of light which accompanies a static electricity discharge between two clouds or between a cloud and the earth during a thunderstorm.
1,000,000 watts of power or 1,000 kilowatts.
A devise which measures and records the production or consumption of electrical energy. Induction disc meters have been used for 100 years, but fully electronic meters are slowly becoming more popular.
The sum of all the connected transmission systems and distribution systems within the participating jurisdictions. In Australia the National Grid stretches from Queensland through NSW, the ACT and Victoria, to South Australia. The grid makes it easy to establish trading across state boundaries, which is done through the National Electricity Market (NEM).
A colourless gas that can be used as fuel in the generation of electricity, in the production of mechanical energy or in heat.
A device where light energy is converted to electrical energy. Also known as a solar cell.
Energy that reaches the Earth directly from the Sun. Solar energy is also responsible for hydro power, by evaporating water to form clouds and rainfall that fills hydro dams. Coal is believed to have been created from vast forests in which solar energy contributed to the fixing of carbon from the atmosphere.
A facility at which two or more lines are switched for operational purposes. May include one or more transformers so that some connected lines operate at different nominal voltages to others.
The wires or cables for getting high voltage electricity from one place to another. Transmission lines operate at a voltage of 132kV or higher. The highest voltage in Australia is 500kV, but lines operating at voltages of above 1000kV can be found overseas.
An electric generator driven by a turbine; the turbine has blades that are made to rotate by the force of water, burning gas, steam or the wind.
The volt is the unit of measure for electro-motive force. A dry cell battery produces approximately 1.5 volts, while one cell of a car lead-acid battery produces about 2 volts.
A unit for measuring electric power eg. 1 horse power = 746 watts. One kilowatt = 1000 watts. One Megawatt = 1,000,000 watts.
A machine that captures the energy of the wind and transfers the motion to a generator shaft.
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