A newly-patented device developed by Berea College faculty member Harrie R. Buswell may help electric utility companies reduce the cost of delivering power to their customers as well as be put to a variety of other cost-saving uses.

Wire Core Induction Coil, U.S. Patent No. 6,239,681, for which Buswell, Berea's Science Instrumentation Technician, received a patent on May 29, uses steel wires in the core rather than stamped laminates. Buswell says that the technology can reduce production costs compared to the way transformers are currently produced in several ways.

"Less expensive materials are purchased for the construction. There are also fewer parts," said Buswell, "so the construction take less time allowing further savings to be realized."

Buswell is currently working with the Inter-County Utility Association in Danville on applying the technology to power pole and large transformers. The Danville office is planned to be a training site for other utilities. The technology is applicable to several other types and categories coils and
transformers as well, says Buswell, from the small "wall wart" types (the little black boxes that plug into wall outlets and power such things as cell phone recharges), to the transformers installed on electric utility poles that deliver power to homes. A patent handling firm is currently marketing the technology in Europe, China, Taiwan and Japan.

A member of Berea's faculty since 1996, Buswell holds a B.S. degree from Iowa State University, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Georgia.