Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!uupsi!rodan.acs.syr.edu!mamiller
From: mamiller@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Mark A. Miller)
Subject: 1 phase to 3 phase conversion
Message-ID: <1991Mar28.191005.1653@rodan.acs.syr.edu>
Sender: mamiller@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Mark A. Miller)
Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 28 Mar 91 19:10:05 GMT

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Hello! A machinist friend of mine is buying some equipement that runs
on 3 phase power and requested me to build a converter for him.  My
question to the net is : What exactly IS 3 phase?  Is it simply one
ground line and three 'live' lines, each 120 degrees out of phase
with the others, or is it something else?  Also, could you point me
in the direction of some good references for building a converter
(preferably non-mechanical; i.e. no motors/generators). Also, could
someone tell me WHY it would be preferable to run a machine on
3 phase power?  I can't really think of a good reason, but there
MUST be one, right?  Thanks alot for any responses! (I'm a practicing
THEORETICAL physicist, so please keep the jargon to a tolerable
level ;-) ).


     Mark Miller
     mamiller@rodan.acs.syr.edu