Travel power converters...

[Externet]

They have been available for decades and never paid attention to them...
How do they work ? Seems they are not just transformers, being so compact. Just curious.

Like----> https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/world-electricity-guide.html

 

[ChrisP58]

Most of them are just plug adapters that allow a plug of one type to fit a different socket, and don't change the voltage at all. But, since the most common things that people travel with are laptops and phones, whose power adapters can usually handle any any worldwide voltage, adapting the plug is all you need.

There are some that do change the voltage, but not the frequency. They use a small autoformer, and are usually limited to about 50VA or so. Some shavers don't handle worldwide voltages, so an autoformer type voltage converter would be the choice for such shavers.

I have seen one converter that could handle a 1500 watt hairdryer. It used a single diode, so it was really feeding twice the voltage, half of the time. Which is OK for heating elements and type of blower motors usually used in hairdryers. Of course that one would only work to run a 120 volt device in a 240 volt country.


The bottom line is that you need to look at the power requirements of whatever devices you want to take with you, and then choose what type of adapter you need.