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Transfer Switch Alternatives

There are a wide variety of transfer switches, from electrical to mechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic. Transfer switches shift the flow of something from one direction to another -- often from one circuit or one conduit to another. Some transfer switches can do this mid-flow; some require flow to stop before the transfer can take place. The alternatives all automate the process of transference; some even monitor and sense the need to make the transfer.

Backup Power Sources
- Buildings and even whole cities have infrastructure to provide backup power in case the primary electrical source fails. In a residence, for example, you might have a generator. When the power goes out, you can start your generator outside, then run an extension cord from the generator inside, where you can transfer appliances to the generator's power. Or, you can have your electrical panel wired so a generator can supply power to the whole house or an emergency set of circuits which are transferred manually by a switch. In larger applications, the process is streamlined. The alternative is an automated transfer switch which senses the loss in power and automatically diverts the load to an auxiliary source.
Solar Transfer Switches
- With the evolution of renewable power, transfer switches often work in reverse: they switch from a renewable source like a photovoltaic panel to a power grid when the PV panel stops producing enough power. The mechanism is the same: when one power source dwindles, the switch senses the drop automatically, making the switch seamlessly and instantly. The application of using the switch in reverse, back to the grid, is relatively new and requires different wiring.
Solenoid
- A solenoid or solenoid switch is an electrical to mechanical switch that converts a change in current into movement of a rod. Solenoid switches are often used to make a mechanical shift or transfer. They are used in car starters to engage flywheels. They can also be used to transfer digital information to electrical current, then to a mechanical device. For example, a digital timer on a sprinkler system invokes low voltage, which in turn causes a solenoid to switch from one sprinkler zone to another.
Network Transfer Switches
- Phone operators managed early networks by pulling a plug from one circuit and plugging it into another. It was simple, but simple was all that was required. Transfer switches in modern networks use automated alternatives, primarily switches and routers. Switches are the primary nodes in a network, linking computer to computer; routers link network to network, managing the flow of packetized information intelligently and automatically.

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