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Re: Alternator
Quote:
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Originally Posted by mechanicalbrain
Off the bat alternating current deals much better with resistance then DC. It's one of the reasons the power company uses it.
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That statement is not correct.
The power lost in in wires is dissipated as heat. In DC circuits, the heating in the wires is purely caused by the resistance of the wire. In AC circuits, the heat is caused by the resistance and the inductance (reactance) of the wire.
Since more heat (hence more power) is dissipated in AC circuits, DC is the preferred choice based on efficiency alone.
It was the difficulty in switching DC which was one of the deciding factors in the great Nicola Tesla/Thomas Edison "war of the currents" debates in the 1880's.
Edison lost...
Regards,
Mike
__________________
Mike Betts
Alumnus, Team 3518, Panthrobots, 2011
Alumnus, Team 177, Bobcat Robotics, 1995 - 2010
LRI, Connecticut Regional, 2007-2010
LRI, WPI Regional, 2009 - 2010
RI, South Florida Regional, 2012 - 2013
As easy as 355/113...
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