Errors and questions[edit source]

  • "Alternating current is by far the most useful type of electrical current, given that" - there are many applications where DC is the most useful type. Such as charging a battery.
This should be understand in relation to domestic systems; hence for a complete stationary system. Offcourse DC power is useful for subtasks such as charging a battery, but in that case I would ie implement an inverter underneath the main system which should be AC. I think it's little intresting to use a DC system for an entire system since there is just so much power loss, since allot of devices can be AC anyway, and since AC is best used anyhow since it more easy to hook up unto the main electricity grid and also incorporate net metering.

KVDP 05:05, 16 December 2011 (PST)

  • "it loses far less power over long electrical lines" - I am fairly certain that this is only because AC is easily transformed to higher voltage. Higher voltage allows lower currents for the same power, and lower current means less power loss to resistance.~
I think so too. However, where I state "long" electrical lines, I mean lines of ie 5 m or longer. Even over this short distance, there still seems to be significant power loss (reading the Biotecture books). For low-power appliances (ie lights), that's quite a significant and annoying problem, and although it could be electrically fixed (using resistors, ...) I don't think most people are able to work that precise, so I think it's a good idea to avoid the problem entirely by using AC.

KVDP 05:05, 16 December 2011 (PST)

  • "Adopting AC power as the standard, allows the use of less equipment (ie power inverter), also there is no 10% power loss due to the use of this inverter." I think this is referring to home generation (e.g. photovoltaic). PV panels will still need to be inverted as the generate DC current. The savings comes from other parts of the balance of system, such as batteries.
I actually don't like PV-panels since it's a technology mostly useful (and developed) for use in space. Luminescent solar concentrator panels are better, yet still too expensive and artificial to really be an appropriate technology, atleast that's what I think. I'm mostly thinking of using other techniques (such as an internal combustion motor running on wood gas, oxyhydrogen, ... or a stirling engine running on the heat of burning wood, steam engines, hydroelectric plants, wind turbines, passive solar plants, ... ) These can be fitted with an alternator, so generating DC-power. No inverter would be needed. Some other power generation methods such as plant-power (which are actually microbial fuel cells) and fuel cells on plant waste indeed generate DC-power so these need to be inverted, yet these are not frequently employed.

KVDP 05:15, 16 December 2011 (PST)

  • "AC power is less sluggish than DC power. This means that the power lines can be thinner to than comparable DC lines. In practice, ie 12 gauge AC wire can be used, while 10 gauge DC wire would be required. When extrapolating the wiring problem into practice ie in a lightning situation, we see that on AC, 8 lights can be powered, and only 3 on DC." Sluggish? The lines being thinner is again due to higher voltage - lower current. I have no idea what this is talking about with the extrapolation.
The term "sluggish" was used by Michael Reynolds, not by me. I think it mostly refers to the power loss, making the lights light up less bright. With extrapolation, I mean that the theoretic problem also becomes a real practical problem.
  • "The best type to use is 230V/50Hz" Why? This is a proposed standard, but I am not sure if it should be considered the best. It is more dangerous and more efficient than the 120V US standard.
In my juridical national measures documents, I noted this as the standard. This is because most nations allready use it, and so the least amount of fixes need to be done worldwide. A worldwide standard allows the equipment to reduce the costs of the equipment (mass-scale production), ...

KVDP 05:21, 16 December 2011 (PST)

--Lonny 03:33, 25 October 2011 (PDT)

Cookies help us deliver our services. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies.