How does an electrical damper work.

[rigger100472]

I am trying to find out how an electrical damper works. I know that it slowly reduces the amplitude of a current or voltage but don't know how, or even what any circuit would look like. I am not an electrician but know basics like capacitence, impedence etc so if you can help and can explain in laymans terms I would be grateful.

Everything I have looked at on the web is very specific but I am just after the basic idea and maybe some applications.

Thank you

 

[UR_Correct]

I am trying to find out how an electrical damper works. I know that it slowly reduces the amplitude of a current or voltage but don't know how, or even what any circuit would look like. I am not an electrician but know basics like capacitence, impedence etc so if you can help and can explain in laymans terms I would be grateful.

Everything I have looked at on the web is very specific but I am just after the basic idea and maybe some applications.

Thank you

Do you mean electrical damping? For instance, a 2nd order system that can be underdamped, critically damped, or overdamped, based on the values of the resistor, capacitor, and inductor.

 

[ddarvil]

What UR_Correct said essentially. Google "RLC circuits". Current oscillates between an inductor and capacitor via a resistor. Physically this is an oscillation between an electric field(cap) and a magnetic field(inductor). The resistor is an energy loss resulting in signal attenuation (with the added smaller losses associated with the cap/inductor).

 

[rigger100472]

I Am asking about an electrical damper as UR_Correct has assumed.

 

[berkeman]

I Am asking about an electrical damper as UR_Correct has assumed.

Then this should help.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RLC_circuit

Welcome to the PF, BTW.

 

[rigger100472]

Now I remember. RLC circuits are something I looked into once but didn't investigate their damping effect. Thanks everyone.:-)