Definition

Noun: A cascade transformer is an electrical device consisting of a number of individual transformers connected in series. This configuration is designed to provide a high-voltage output source that is a multiple of the voltage supplied by a single transformer in the chain.

Usage

The term is used specifically in electrical engineering to describe a method for achieving very high voltages, often for testing or research purposes, by connecting the secondary winding of one transformer to the primary winding of the next.

Examples

• The laboratory used a cascade transformer to generate the million-volt potential needed for the insulation test.
• To achieve the required voltage for the X-ray tube, engineers constructed a cascade transformer from three standard units.

Advanced Usage

• Cascade transformer connections: This phrase refers to the specific wiring or method used to link the transformers in series to form the cascade.
  • The technician carefully checked the cascade transformer connections before applying power.

Variants and Related Words

• Transformer (n): The basic device that transfers electrical energy between circuits through electromagnetic induction.
• Voltage multiplier (n): A broader term for circuits, which may use transformers, capacitors, and diodes, to produce a high DC voltage from a lower AC or DC voltage. A cascade transformer is one type of voltage multiplier circuit.

Synonyms

• Series transformer bank
• Voltage multiplier transformer

Related Technical Phrases

• Cascade configuration: The arrangement of components (like transformers or amplifiers) where the output of one stage feeds the input of the next.
  • The signal was amplified using an amplifier in a cascade configuration.

Noun

1. a number of transformers in series; provides a high-voltage source