Text 9853, 69 rader
Skriven 2010-08-08 18:32:03 av Ross Cassell (1:123/456)
   Kommentar till text 9852 av Michiel van der Vlist (2:280/5555)
Ärende: Just Curious
====================
Hello Michiel!

08 Aug 10 23:10, you wrote to me:

 RC>> Why do nations across the pond from the USA, provide higher
 RC>> voltages for electrical service as opposed to the 110/120V we are
 RC>> used to?

 MV> It was not always so. I remember the days when some cities in The
 MV> Netherlands had 110 Volts and others 220 Volts. The Hague had 110
 MV> Volts until the late 50ties.

 MV> Now the voltage in most of Europe is 230 Volts 50 Hz.

 MV> http://users.telenet.be/worldstandards/electricity.htm

So its a transportation savings, probably for different population densities..

 MV> There are other ways to compensate. Here in the Netherlands the next
 MV> level grid in cities is 10 kV. Transformers that service about 100 to
 MV> 200 houses are housed in small buildings the size of a one car garage,
 MV> It is my understanding that in the US the transformers are smaller and
 MV> service fewer houses. So the transformers are closer to the end users,
 MV> thereby cutting losses/amount of copper.

In my case, there is a transformer mounted on the utility pole at the end of
the driveway, a neighbor across the street has one to, other neighbors do not..

I have seen the one that services our house, rather heard, it explode..
Presumably to squirrels.

 RC>> (We do have this voltage for heavy appliances like furnace/AC,
 RC>> stove, oven, clothers dryers etc..)

 MV> We have three fase 230/400 Volt for heavy duty appliences. In
 MV> industrial environments sometimes 400/700 Volts is used.

220/230V is what is piped into the homes here, with the voltages split off at
the breaker box.

Not being an electrical genius, I believe phased is what they describe the
heavy circuitry for our heavy home appliances. On the stove and dryer, the
power connection is way different with 2 angled blades for the power, and one
for the ground, but I believe existing code requires newer construction to have
2 grounds now.

 RC>> This is not being critical, just curious as to why, I never
 RC>> thought to ask.. My toaster, TV, Coffee Pots and the ilk, all
 RC>> seem happy on 110/120V.

 MV> It is not the appliences. It is the copper needed to bring it to your
 MV> house. You need more copper. The wires in my cable to the street are 6
 MV> square millimeters. The main fuse is 35 Amp. More than enough for my
 MV> needs. My guess is that your main fuse is at leat double that and that
 MV> the wires are much thicker.

As a result, your simple appliances have to be built to handle the voltage, you
would think they could break it down at your box?

==
Ross
Fidonet Feeds Or Fidonet In Your Newsreader: http://www.easternstar.info
E-mail: ross(at)cassell(dot)us | Other Places: http://links.cassell.us

I can see November from my House!

... WORK HARDER! Millions on welfare depend on it.
--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20060121
 * Origin: The Eastern Star - Spartanburg, SC USA (1:123/456)