electro-Physics: 17.3409 volts

From: shoppa_classiccmp_at_trailing-edge.com <(shoppa_classiccmp_at_trailing-edge.com)>
Date: Mon Dec 13 17:03:39 2004

>> Out of interest, why do we use 50Hz power in the UK and 60Hz in the US?
> I saw yesterday a claim that the 60Hz in the US was a Tesla invention

Tesla dis a lot for AC power in general.

50 or 60Hz comes about from not wanting all your incadescent lamps
looking like they flicker. If you power them from 15 or 20 Hz, you
do see them flicker. At 60Hz there is a very minor flicker compared
to pure DC.

For industrial-size motors, lower frequencies are desirable, like 15
or 16.66 or 20 Hz. AC power is still produced at these frequencies
for heavy-duty industrial customers like smelters, aluminum refinieries,
electric railways, etc.

For not-so-heavy transformers, higher frequencies are desirable, thus
the 400 Hz AC power on military aircraft.

The classic way of converting from AC at one frequency to another was
motor-generator sets, (And to convert AC to DC you used rotary
converters...) Modern implemenations use solid-state electronics.

Tim.
Received on Mon Dec 13 2004 - 17:03:39 GMT