[email protected] wrote: > In the US, what is the typical distribution line voltage that is > running on 2 wire feeds and is it single phase? If a generator is > putting out 3 phase, is the distribution on 2 wires one leg of that? > You would have to have a wire for each phase would you not? Otherwise, > they would add or subtract from overlapping correct? Could some talk > us through the process from the generator to the house (boat) There are two configurations of 3 phase production/load WYE (Y) and delta. I've been away from power for 40 years so I don't know what's the more prevalent configuration, however you don't often if ever see 3 phase current in the home. It's used primarily for power transmission and driving large electric motors. After perhaps a number of transformers, the typical house is fed with a center tapped secondary transformer to provide a single phase 240 volt connection. The center tap provides for two 120 volt circuits. So you have 4 wires into the box. Earth ground, the center tap or neutral and two 120 volt lines.
I can't say for sure if there is a common or a ground wire on the large high voltage transmission lines. If you have a WYE connection then you would have to have it. With a delta connection, you do not need a 4th wire. Simply the generator puts out 3 phase at some voltage, higher than 240, but I don't know that there is a standard. From there it is boosted to some very high voltage for long distance transmission, still 3 phase. At a nearby substation it is reduced to a lower voltage for local distribution. At your pole or underground nearby it is reduced to the single phase 240 volts I mentioned before. Jim. _______________________________________________ Liveaboard mailing list [email protected] To adjust your membership settings over the web http://www.liveaboardnow.org/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard To subscribe send an email to [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] The archives are at http://www.liveaboardnow.org/pipermail/liveaboard/ To search the archives http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] The Mailman Users Guide can be found here http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html
