Driftsprincip

Driftsprincip is a term used in engineering and technical documentation to denote the fundamental operating principle of a device or process. It describes how the system achieves its primary effect, including the energy conversion or transfer mechanism, the main physical phenomena involved, and the control logic that governs behavior. The term is common in Scandinavian languages, where it roughly means operating principle or principle of operation, and it appears in manuals and specifications to distinguish a device’s core function from its construction or installation details.

A driftsprincip typically appears in specifications, manuals, and risk assessments to summarize the device's core function for designers, operators, and technicians.

Examples include: for an electric motor, the driftsprincip is the conversion of electrical energy into mechanical torque via electromagnetic interaction; for a pump, the driftsprincip is the creation of a pressure difference that moves fluid; for a refrigerator, the driftsprincip is the circulating refrigerant that undergoes phase changes to transfer heat.

Differences from installation or configuration: it refers to the essential function rather than how it is assembled or set up.

Understanding the driftsprincip is useful for design, maintenance, safety analysis, and comparing similar devices.