🚀 go-pugleaf

henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) writes:

> In article <1992Dec29.160117.12068@cbfsb.cb.att.com> medha@cbnewsg.cb.att.com
> >  I am curious to know why some countries have 110V AC supply
> >and some 220V AC as their main line voltage ?
> 
> Historical accident, mostly.  As others have pointed out, there are other
> voltages in use too.  The higher voltages have both advantages and
> disadvantages, and electrical power systems evolved in parallel so there
> wasn't a single pioneer that everyone else followed.
> 
> >... Is there
> >any talk of standardizing this like SI syatem of measurement ?
> 
> Not a prayer.  The costs of switching would be astronomical, all the more
> so because you can't convert one appliance at a time.  The benefits don't
> justify the pain.
> -- 
   
You will recall back in the early '50s, Ontario Hydro conducted a
roundup and exchange program when they collected all the 25 Hz 
motor-driven appliances and modified or replaced them with 60 Hz 
equipment.  This cost a fortune at the time, but was a Good Thing 
overall because it lead to an all-60-Hz network.  I understand that a 
small amount of 25 Hz generation was in use till the last 3 or 4 years, 
for a couple of industrial customers - for those applications, it wasn't 
too cost-effective to convert them to 60 Hz and so they kept on with 25 
Hz power till the late '80s. 
   
  Bill

bills@inqmind.bison.mb.ca
The Inquiring Mind BBS, Winnipeg, Manitoba  204 488-1607