20-04-2017, 06:32 AM
(12-04-2017, 10:42 PM)colly0410 Wrote: As the title says, or would another mains voltage have been better? Advantages/disadvantages of each...
If I had the choice it would be 115V and DC. Generally lighting is more efficient , appliances more robust. Its a nicer voltage to work with or to power all low or medium power appliances, think of the Titanic 100v DC, electric cookers cranes etc.
And yes the Americans got it right.
240V AC is also usefull, My house has 240v AC, and 110V DC for all auxiliary lighting,garden machines etc, and also supplies my radios, no hum and little inteference, the real stuff.
There would be no problem with DC distribution these days, with the rectifiers we have, however the big problem with DC is the switching,ypu have no zero moment to stop the arc, however solid state switches can now do the job.
DC mains had the 3 wire system 220v on the outers, neg and pos main and a neutral, so you had 440v for the the big motors etc. You could sometimes find balancers and boosters, so DC remained at a constant voltage.
AC system was chosen by utility companies, because (at that time) it was simpler and more efficient to supply, it is now totally different with modern electronics.
