Chrisasks
Member
- Location
- Knoxville, TN
This is my first post, and I've heard there are some on here with great wisdom!
I am in my fourth year of commercial, and am trying to learn all I can on both the theory side and install side.
Today's question: I've been studying transformers and neutrals and bonding.
I would love to get a greater understanding on the flow. thinking in terms of wye, I get that power is stepped down, three legs of 120 happen and a neutral is tapped at a point in the coils where voltage potential is zero. I also understand that in most cases, this zero potential tap is bonded to the ground at the transformer to bring the surrounding area up to that zero voltage potential(correct?). What's more is that it's known that the first means of disconnect bonds neutra bus to ground bus to create a safety path, then are kept separate from there forward, and that the ground should not interact with the power after that.
So As as power flows from let's say phase "A" through a 277v 20ampere device and the unbalanced load returns through the neutral (no other loads connected for simplicity) all the way to the neutral tap on the transformer, where does the flow stop?
Ive read a lot that says it goes to ground and that's it, done and I have trouble thinking that is sufficient as there would be extreme electrolysis and arcing and such as the ground's electrolytes were consumed.
Lets say the whole system was never bonded to ground and we were in a perfect environment where the load was isolated by insulated covers and such so that we could not get shocked and be ok, would the the neutral behave similarly?
Thanks for your time to all of those involved.
I am in my fourth year of commercial, and am trying to learn all I can on both the theory side and install side.
Today's question: I've been studying transformers and neutrals and bonding.
I would love to get a greater understanding on the flow. thinking in terms of wye, I get that power is stepped down, three legs of 120 happen and a neutral is tapped at a point in the coils where voltage potential is zero. I also understand that in most cases, this zero potential tap is bonded to the ground at the transformer to bring the surrounding area up to that zero voltage potential(correct?). What's more is that it's known that the first means of disconnect bonds neutra bus to ground bus to create a safety path, then are kept separate from there forward, and that the ground should not interact with the power after that.
So As as power flows from let's say phase "A" through a 277v 20ampere device and the unbalanced load returns through the neutral (no other loads connected for simplicity) all the way to the neutral tap on the transformer, where does the flow stop?
Ive read a lot that says it goes to ground and that's it, done and I have trouble thinking that is sufficient as there would be extreme electrolysis and arcing and such as the ground's electrolytes were consumed.
Lets say the whole system was never bonded to ground and we were in a perfect environment where the load was isolated by insulated covers and such so that we could not get shocked and be ok, would the the neutral behave similarly?
Thanks for your time to all of those involved.