What is Equipotential?
Equipotential refers to a condition where all points within a given space or system share the same potential. In simpler terms, it means that there is no difference in electrical potential between these points thus there is no voltage. This absence of voltage allows for no current flow due to the presence of resistance.
The equipotential connection involves interconnecting various conductive metal enclosures and ensuring reliable grounding. By doing so, only the transfer of potential occurs between these enclosures, eliminating any potential difference and, consequently, preventing the flow of electric current.
Working principle of equipotential
The realization of equipotential depends on the following two elements. First, conductor grounding is the basic step to achieve equipotential. By connecting the conductor to the earth, the potential of the conductor grounding point can be set to zero. In the grounded state, the same potential value is maintained between each point of the conductor, thus achieving the state of equipotential.
Secondly, the design of the conductor is also one of the key factors to achieve equipotential. In the conductor design, factors such as the shape, material, and size of the conductor need to be considered to achieve the requirements of equipotential. The shape of the conductor is usually selected as spherical or cylindrical because conductors of these shapes can evenly distribute the charge and achieve uniform distribution of potential.
Application of equipotential
Equipotential has a wide range of applications in engineering and scientific research. The following are several common examples of equipotential applications:
Potentiometer
Equipotential is widely used in industrial potentiometers to measure the potential difference in the electric field. The potentiometer uses the equipotential property of the conductor to calculate the potential difference in the electric field by measuring the potential values at different points on the conductor. Potentiometers play an important role in circuit design, electromagnetic research and other fields.
Bathroom safety
The equipotential system is particularly important in the bathroom, especially when using electric water heaters. All metal pipes, including the outlet pipes of faucets, must be connected to the equipotential system. In the event of a leakage, the system ensures that the current is directly introduced into the ground, forming a local grounding system, thereby improving safety.
Electrostatic shielding
Equipotential is also used in electrostatic shielding to protect electronic equipment from static interference. In electrostatic shielding, grounding the conductor to the equipment can guide the charge on the surface of the equipment to the ground, thereby achieving an equipotential state on the surface of the equipment. This can reduce the charge accumulation of the equipment in an electrostatic environment and improve the performance and reliability of the equipment.
Electric welding
Equipotential plays an important role in electric welding. During the electric welding process, the welding rod needs to be connected to the workpiece by current. The equipotential technology can achieve an equipotential state between the welding rod and the workpiece, so that the current can pass through the weld evenly, thereby obtaining a stable and high-quality welding result.
Motor protection
Equipotential is also used for motor protection. During the operation of the motor, insulation breakdown, insulation aging and other fault phenomena may occur. By maintaining the motor insulation and grounding at the same potential, when the insulation fails, the motor insulation charge becomes smaller, thus triggering the protection measures. This enables the motor failure to be discovered in time and further damage to be avoided.
What’s more, the installation of equipotential lines requires high standards, specifically the use of soft-core, multi-stranded wires with a cross-sectional area of at least four-square millimeters for effective connection to the equipotential system.
Equipotential has important theoretical significance and practical application value. When achieving equipotential, conductor grounding and appropriate conductor design are required to ensure uniform distribution of potential. Equipotential has a wide range of applications in the fields of potentiometers, bathroom safety, electrostatic shielding, electric welding and motor protection. Watch the video below to learn more.
