So I gutted an appliance that died for parts that I want to use in a project I'm working on and my biggest problem is the part I gutted is 115V and I need to run it off of batteries. So I also took a transformer out of the appliance that has 120V input and 14V output. So my question is, can I reverse the transformer to allow this component to work off of around 14V of electricity from batteries or will reversing it change the needed input value and the actual output value?
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The short answer is no.
A transformer works by creating and collapsing a magnetic field. The ever changing level of magnetism induces a voltage in the other coil, so one voltage can be 'transformed' into another. The problem (for you) is that both coils have alternating current (AC) flowing through them. Because of the characteristics of coils and magnetism, applying AC to either coil will cause a voltage at the other coil. If you put 14VAC on that transformer, you would indeed see 115VAC at the other coil.
Batteries, however, supply DC voltage. If you apply it to that same coil on the transformer, the magnetic field will rise, inducing a voltage at the other coil, but then it will hold constant and that other voltage will fall away to zero, and at the same time too much current will flow through the 14V side and either cook your transformer, your power source or both.
The principle in operation here is that if a wire is passed through a magnetic field, it will induce a voltage in the wire. This can be accomplished by 1. movement of a wire through a static magnetic field, 2. movement of a magnetic field near a wire, or 3. alternately raising and collapsing a magnetic field in the presence of a wire. A transformer works by the number 3 method. A constant voltage does not accomplish that.
A transformer works by creating and collapsing a magnetic field. The ever changing level of magnetism induces a voltage in the other coil, so one voltage can be 'transformed' into another. The problem (for you) is that both coils have alternating current (AC) flowing through them. Because of the characteristics of coils and magnetism, applying AC to either coil will cause a voltage at the other coil. If you put 14VAC on that transformer, you would indeed see 115VAC at the other coil.
Batteries, however, supply DC voltage. If you apply it to that same coil on the transformer, the magnetic field will rise, inducing a voltage at the other coil, but then it will hold constant and that other voltage will fall away to zero, and at the same time too much current will flow through the 14V side and either cook your transformer, your power source or both.
The principle in operation here is that if a wire is passed through a magnetic field, it will induce a voltage in the wire. This can be accomplished by 1. movement of a wire through a static magnetic field, 2. movement of a magnetic field near a wire, or 3. alternately raising and collapsing a magnetic field in the presence of a wire. A transformer works by the number 3 method. A constant voltage does not accomplish that.
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If you can produce 14 volts at 60 Hertz, with sufficient current, you can reverse the transformer and get 115 VAC out. The problem is producing the 14-volt signal. Do you actually need the 115 volts? If everything in the appliance runs from the transformer, it is probably used to generate a DC voltage of about that level, and you may be able to run it on batteries without using the transformer.
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a transformer produces Alternating Current (AC) - a battery is Direct Current (DC) you can use a transformer but need to have a full wave bridge rectifier ( 4 diodes) and an electrolytic capacitor to change the AC to DC. You also must make sure that the current it provides is within your needs.