What is Galvanic Isolation?

Galvanic isolation is a technique used to separate two electrical circuits while allowing them to communicate with each other. It is a way to prevent electrical interference between two circuits, which can cause damage to sensitive electronic equipment or cause safety hazards. Galvanic isolation is often used in industrial and medical applications where safety and reliability are essential.

How Galvanic Isolation Works

Galvanic isolation works by using a barrier between two circuits to prevent electrical current from flowing between them. This barrier can be made of a variety of materials, such as air, plastic, or a solid-state device. In solid-state devices, such as optocouplers, a light-emitting diode (LED) is used to transmit a signal across the barrier, and a photodetector receives the signal on the other side. The LED and photodetector are isolated from each other, preventing any electrical current from flowing between them.

Applications of Galvanic Isolation

Galvanic isolation is commonly used in industrial and medical applications where safety and reliability are essential. In industrial applications, it is often used to isolate sensitive control circuits from high-voltage power circuits to prevent damage to equipment or to protect the safety of personnel. In medical applications, galvanic isolation is used to isolate electrical circuits to ensure that patients are not subjected to electrical shocks.

Example of Galvanic Isolation in Action

One example of galvanic isolation in action is in a battery-powered electric vehicle. The high-voltage battery that powers the vehicle is isolated from the low-voltage control circuits that operate the vehicle. This isolation prevents damage to the control circuits from the high-voltage battery, and it also ensures the safety of passengers and personnel by preventing electrical shocks. Galvanic isolation is essential in this application to ensure the safety and reliability of the vehicle.