Wiring Question

[JPMacG]

My point is that from the standpoint of other electrical technologies (such as RF circuits), the system we call single phase could well be called two phase.

What else would a two-phase system be? Hint: whatever it is, it the two phases need to have a 180 degree relationship. Would it make you feel better if the phases were created using two separate secondaries connected in series? How about two separate transformers with their primaries in parallel and their secondaries in series? Either would produce exactly the same phase angle characteristics as we get from our "single phase" service.

Sorry to belabor this silly discussion, but please don't criticize others for using non-conventional but equally correct terminology.

[Marc]

My point is that from the standpoint of other electrical technologies (such as RF circuits), the system we call single phase could well be called two phase.

What else would a two-phase system be? Hint: whatever it is, it the two phases need to have a 180 degree relationship. Would it make you feel better if the phases were created using two separate secondaries connected in series? How about two separate transformers with their primaries in parallel and their secondaries in series? Either would produce exactly the same phase angle characteristics as we get from our "single phase" service.

Sorry to belabor this silly discussion, but please don't criticize others for using non-conventional but equally correct terminology.

I agree that it's silly but there's no 'equally correct' definition of phase as used in this thread. 'Phase' means the same in both electrical engineering and electronic engineering (including radio wave transmission).

In electrical, a phase is measured across the generator terminals. Installing a transformer across it then using a center-tap on a winding to say that you've now come up with two phases from a single phase generator is not what is intended by the term 'phase'.

Additional phases would be distinguished by separate windings on a generator that produce a wave with a vector that's not the same as the first winding (a car going north at 70 mph is a vector, it has both a magnitude and a direction).

Marc

[Bain]

Coincidentally, I've been going through a phase recently, but I'm not quite sure how to measure across my generator terminals.

Might be fun, though . . .

[Erby]

Bain: One Blonde - two hands - one bottle of lotion. That will get your get your phase generator going.