Electrical Engineering Terms - V

V - Voltage; Volt.
VA - 1) Electrical capacity or electrical load, expressed as Volts x Amps. 2) Volt Ampere
rating designates the output which a transformer can deliver at rated voltage and
frequency without exceeding a specified temperature rise.
VAC - Volts AC.
Vacuum Circuit Breakers - Circuit breakers, normally applied at medium voltages, that
use vacuum interrupters to extinguish the electrical arc and shut-off flowing current.
Vacuum Interrupter - A sealed "bottle" containing contacts of a switch inside a very
high vacuum. When the contacts are parted in the vacuum, as there is no gas in the bottle
to ionize, the current flow is quickly extinguished.
Valve Regulated Sealed Cell (Battery) - A battery in which the cells are closed but have
a valve which allows the escape of gas if the internal pressure exceeds a predetermined
value (pressure).
Vapor Phase - In the core-type transformer, the core-and-coil assembly is independent of
the tank, so that the assembly is allowed to completely dry. When drying the core-and-
coil assembly, vapor phase drying method is used, in which special oil vapor is sprayed
on the
VAR - Volt Ampere Reactive. Also see "Reactive Power".
VCB - Vacuum Circuit Breaker.
VDC - Volts DC.
VDEW - Term used for IEC 60870-5-103 protocol. The VDEW protocol is a subset of
the IEC 60870-5-103 protocol.
Vector Group Compensation - A feature of digital and numerical relays that
compensates for the phase angle shift that occurs in transformers due to use of dissimilar
winding connections. For example transformers connected in delta/star.
Veiling Luminance - A luminance superimposed on the retinal image which reduces its
contrast. It is this veiling effect produced by bright sources or areas in the visual field that
results in reduced visual performance and visibility.
Vent Cap (Battery) - The plug on top of a cell that can be removed to check and change
the level of the electrolyte.
Vent Valve (Battery) - A normally sealed mechanism which allows the controlled
escape of gasses from within a cell.
Venting (Battery) - The release of gas from a cell, either controlled (through a vent) or
accidental.
Virtual Server - The part of a server that functions as if it were a separate, dedicated
server. Each virtual server can run its own operating system and applications and even be
networked with other virtual servers on the same machine. For instance, web hosting
companies
Volt - A unit of electromotive force. The electrical potential needed to produce one
ampere of current with a resistance of one ohm.
Voltage Class - The general strength of electrical insulation on a device, determining the
maximum continuous voltage that can be applied between the conducting parts and
ground potential, without damaging the insulation.
Voltage Drop - The loss of voltage in a circuit when current flows.
Voltage Gradient - See "Voltage Drop"
Voltage Rating - The normal voltage to be applied to an electrical device to provide for
proper operation.
Voltage Regulation - The maintenance of a voltage level between two established set
points, compensating for transformer and/or line voltage deviation, caused by load
current. The voltage change is affected by the magnitude and the power factor of the load
current.
Voltage Sag - Voltage Sags are momentary (typically a few milliseconds to a few
seconds duration) under-voltage conditions and can be caused by a large load starting up
(such as a air conditioning compressor or large motor load) or operation of utility
protection equip
Voltage Spread - The difference between maximum and minimum voltages.
Voltage Swells - Voltage Swells are momentary (typically a few milliseconds to a few
seconds duration) over-voltage conditions which can be caused by such things as a
sudden decrease in electrical load or a short circuit occurring on electrical conductors.
Voltage swells
Voltage Transducer - A transducer used for the measurement of a.c. voltage.
Voltage Transformer - Transformer used to accurately scale ac voltages up or down, or
to provide isolation. Generally used to scale large primary or bus voltages to usable
values for measuring purposes
Voltage Transformer Ratio - The ratio of primary volts divided by secondary volts
Voltage Transients - A transient (sometimes called impulse) is an extremely fast
disturbance (millionths of a second to a few milliseconds) evidenced by a sharp change in
voltage. Transients can occur on your electric, phone, or even cable TV lines. They can
be caused by such
Voltage Withstand Test - A field or factory test in which a conductor or electrical
equipment is subjected to a higher than normal AC or DC voltage to test its insulation
system.
VPN - Virtual Private Network. A private network of computers that is partially
connected by public phone lines.
VR Cable - AAC or ACSR with Vibration Resistant Twisted Pair Construction.
VT - See "Potential Transformer".