What is the difference between single phase and 3 phase electricity?
Presuming you have no electrical understanding single phase and 3 phase electricity both deliver electricity using pressure and flow. The difference between them is the sum of delivery in pressure times the flow. If we look at mechanical power there are multiple terms that illustrate pressure or force, for example: Pounds per square inch and for example speed or flow: gallons per minute. When we look at electrical power there is one value that describes pressure: Voltage and two terms that represent the speed or flow: current and amperes.
During the primitive years of electrical power there was only Direct Current more commonly abbreviated as DC. This power system was much like a water hose pipe where power flows in only one direction. Nowadays the system has changed to an Alternating Current commonly abbreviated as AC, this is when the power system is persistently interchanging direction and is now the standard in electrical power supply. The reason for this is that an AC has the capacity to delivery electrical power much more efficiency over a long distance than that of it’s predecessor DC. In the UK the European commission bureaucrats mandated that every EU country had to standardise to 230V-10% +6% which equates to a 50 Hertz (cycles per second) is the Alternating Current AC frequency.
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Direct Current & Alternating Current[/caption]
So What is 1 single phase power?
Presuming you have no electrical understanding then think of single phase power much like a bicycle whereby only one leg is pressing on one pedal rotating around a crankshaft. The power is then calculated in electrical terms in legs force (Voltage) times by flow (Current). Single phase is typically only has a two wire Alternating Current power circuit one acting as a power wire and one a neutral wire. in the UK 240V is the standard single phase voltage with one 240V power wire and one neutral wire.
So What is 3 three phase power?
Presuming you have no electrical understanding then imagine 3 phase power much like a three cylinder engine where three pistons or phases are positioned 120 degrees from one another pushing around a crankshaft. In a 3 phase supply the electrical power calculation is of course slightly different in that the cylinder force (Voltage) is times by the (Current) times by the square root of 3 which is 1.732. Three phase power is inevitably powered by a three wire Alternating Current AC power circuit. Nearly all commercial buildings in the UK including farms use a 3 phase power system due to it’s power density and versatility. In comparison to single phase a three phase system issues 1.732 times more power with an identical current of a single phase whilst providing several power circuits.
[caption id="attachment_989" align="alignnone" width="300"]
3 phase circuit[/caption]
If you have assessed your current supply which only consists of a single phase electrical supply and require a 3 phase power supply the cost of installing a three phase supply can be expensive. If however your demand for 3 phase is merely to power a generator, air compressor or other small scale electrical equipment then there are plug in three phase convertors available to buy. These convertors quite literally plug into a normal everyday plug socket capable of powering most light industrial three phase equipment providing they are push pull start. The other alternative is that you change the three phase motor on the equipment where available to that of a single phase motor by a qualified electrician.
One more excellent piece of equipment are single phase economy electric radiators. Requiring no professional installation they simply plug directly into a normal 13 amp plug socket, mounting directly onto your wall as a wall mounted TV would. These are a perfect direct replacement for an outdated gas boiler system, highly expensive to run panel heaters, old fashioned storage heaters the list goes on. If you would like to find out how energy efficient electric heating can save you money then contact My Electric Radiators, the UK’s leading supplier in economy electric radiators.
Direct Current & Alternating Current[/caption]
So What is 1 single phase power?
Presuming you have no electrical understanding then think of single phase power much like a bicycle whereby only one leg is pressing on one pedal rotating around a crankshaft. The power is then calculated in electrical terms in legs force (Voltage) times by flow (Current). Single phase is typically only has a two wire Alternating Current power circuit one acting as a power wire and one a neutral wire. in the UK 240V is the standard single phase voltage with one 240V power wire and one neutral wire.
So What is 3 three phase power?
Presuming you have no electrical understanding then imagine 3 phase power much like a three cylinder engine where three pistons or phases are positioned 120 degrees from one another pushing around a crankshaft. In a 3 phase supply the electrical power calculation is of course slightly different in that the cylinder force (Voltage) is times by the (Current) times by the square root of 3 which is 1.732. Three phase power is inevitably powered by a three wire Alternating Current AC power circuit. Nearly all commercial buildings in the UK including farms use a 3 phase power system due to it’s power density and versatility. In comparison to single phase a three phase system issues 1.732 times more power with an identical current of a single phase whilst providing several power circuits.
[caption id="attachment_989" align="alignnone" width="300"]
3 phase circuit[/caption]
If you have assessed your current supply which only consists of a single phase electrical supply and require a 3 phase power supply the cost of installing a three phase supply can be expensive. If however your demand for 3 phase is merely to power a generator, air compressor or other small scale electrical equipment then there are plug in three phase convertors available to buy. These convertors quite literally plug into a normal everyday plug socket capable of powering most light industrial three phase equipment providing they are push pull start. The other alternative is that you change the three phase motor on the equipment where available to that of a single phase motor by a qualified electrician.
One more excellent piece of equipment are single phase economy electric radiators. Requiring no professional installation they simply plug directly into a normal 13 amp plug socket, mounting directly onto your wall as a wall mounted TV would. These are a perfect direct replacement for an outdated gas boiler system, highly expensive to run panel heaters, old fashioned storage heaters the list goes on. If you would like to find out how energy efficient electric heating can save you money then contact My Electric Radiators, the UK’s leading supplier in economy electric radiators.