Electricity principles

Electricity is created when electric current flows along a conductor. It entails the movement of free electrons between atoms. The more free electrons are present in a material, the better this material conducts. The three main parameters of electricity are the voltage, current (ampère), and resistance (ohm).

current
electrical current
science of electricity
electric current
theory of electricity
resistance
physics of electricity
principles of electricity
voltage

knowledge

cross-sector

Electricity principles is an essential knowledge of the following occupations:

Electrical equipment inspector: Electrical equipment inspectors check finished electrical products for physical defects and faulty electrical connections. They record inspection results and send faulty assemblies back to production.
Electromagnetic engineer: Electromagnetic engineers design and develop electromagnetic systems, devices, and components, such as electromagnets in loudspeakers, electromagnetic locks, conducting magnets in MRI’s, and magnets in electric motors.
Electrical drafter: Electrical drafters support engineers in the design and conceptualisation of electrical equipment. They draft, with the support of specialised software, the specifications of a varied number of electrical systems such as voltage transformers, power plants, or energy supply in buildings.
Electrical equipment assembler: Electrical equipment assemblers are responsible for the assembly of electrical equipment. They assemble product components and wiring according to the blueprints.
Electronics engineer: Electronic engineers research, design, and develop electronic systems such as circuits, semiconductor devices, and equipment that use electricity as a source of power. They work with capacitators, transistors, diodes or resistors to create electronic circuits and applications of use in fields such as telecommunications, acoustics, instruments, and control.
Sensor engineer: Sensor engineers design and develop sensors, sensor systems and products that are equipped with sensors. They plan and monitor the manufacture of these products.
Electromechanical engineer: Electromechanical engineers design and develop equipment and machinery that use both electrical and mechanical technology. They make draughts and prepare documents detailing the material requisitions, the assembly process and other technical specifications. Electromechanical engineers also test and evaluate the prototypes. They oversee the manufacturing process.
Microsystem engineer: Microsystem engineers research, design, develop, and supervise the production of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), which can be integrated in mechanical, optical, acoustic, and electronic products.
Electrical engineer: Electrical engineers design and develop electrical systems, electrical equipment, components, motors, and equipment with the feature of energy transmission. They engage in large scale projects such as the design and maintenance of power stations, and the distribution of power to smaller applications such as household appliances.
Microelectronics engineer: Microelectronics engineers design, develop, and supervise the production of small electronic devices and components such as micro-processors and integrated circuits.
Computer hardware engineer: Computer hardware engineers design and develop computer hardware systems and components, such as circuit boards, modems, and printers. They draught blueprints and assembly drawings, develop and test the prototypes, and supervise the production process.
Electrical engineering technician: Electrical engineering technicians work together with electrical engineers in electrical engineering research. They perform technical tasks and aid in the designing, testing, manufacturing and operation of electrical devices and facilities.

Electrical equipment production supervisor: Electrical equipment production supervisors coordinate, plan and direct the production process of electrical equipment. They manage labourers working on the production line, oversee the quality of the assembled goods, and perform cost and resource management.
Control panel tester: Control panel testers test the electrical control panels. They read blueprints to check if the wiring is connected correctly. Control panel testers use electrical measuring and testing equipment to detect malfunctions and may correct faulty wiring and components.
Instrumentation engineer: Instrumentation engineers envision and design equipment used in manufacturing processes for controlling and monitoring various engineering processes remotely. They design equipment for the monitoring of production sites such as manufacturing systems, machinery uses and production processes.
Substation engineer: Substation engineers design medium and high voltage substations used for the transmission, distribution, and generation of electrical energy. They develop methods for the efficient operation of the energy process, and ensure compliance to safety and environmental standards.
Electric meter technician: Electric meter technicians install and maintain electric meter systems in facilities or buildings. They install the equipment in accordance with regulations and repair faults and other problems. They test the equipment and advise on the use and care.

Electricity principles is optional for these occupations. This means knowing this knowledge may be an asset for career advancement if you are in one of these occupations.

Mechanical engineer: Mechanical engineers research, plan and design mechanical products and systems and supervise the fabrication, operation, application, installation and repair of systems and products. They research and analyse data.
Drafter: Drafters prepare and create technical drawings using a special software or manual techniques, to show how something is built or works.
Engineering lecturer: Engineering lecturers are subject professors, teachers, or lecturers who instruct students who have obtained an upper secondary education diploma in their own specialised field of study, engineering, which is predominantly academic in nature. They work with their university research assistants and university teaching assistants for the preparation of lectures and of exams, for leading laboratory practices, grading papers and exams and for leading review and feedback sessions for the students. They also conduct academic research in their field of engineering, publish their findings and liaise with other university colleagues.

References

1. Electricity principles – ESCO