Stromverlust

Stromverlust is a German term used in electrical engineering to describe the dissipation or reduction of electrical energy as current flows through a circuit or network. It can refer to the loss of usable power as heat in conductors and components, or more broadly to the decrease of current due to impedance and leakage.

Common forms of Stromverlust in power systems are copper losses (I^2R) in conductors, iron losses (hysteresis and eddy currents) in magnetic cores, and dielectric or stray losses in insulating materials. In power electronics, switching and conduction losses add to the total loss budget.

In transmission and distribution, line losses arise from the resistance of overhead or underground cables. For a given transmitted power P, increasing the voltage to lower current reduces I^2R losses, improving efficiency, but no system avoids all losses.

Losses are expressed in watts and related to efficiency via η = P_out / P_in. Real power P equals VI cos φ, while reactive power Q and apparent power S describe the power triangle in AC circuits.

Mitigation strategies focus on reducing current, improving conductor materials and cross-sections, using efficient transformers, employing high-voltage transmission, cooling to limit I^2R heating, and minimizing switching losses through advanced power electronics and control.

Stromverlust is distinct from Stromausfall, which denotes a power outage or blackout. In German technical literature, the term is often used in discussing losses and efficiency rather than events.