electro7
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern CA, US
- Occupation
- Electrician, Solar and Electrical Contractor
Hi,
I was wondering if I could get some help understanding 2 and 3 pole circuits. For whatever reason I have had trouble understanding the theory behind the electron flow with them.
I understand that electrons are always trying to go back to the source. With 120V single pole circuits they flow through the hot, through the load, and back on the grounded conductor.
I understand that in a 2 or 3 pole circuit with a neutral, the unbalanced load is carried back on the neutral.
Here are my questions:
On a 2 pole or 3 pole circuit that say does not have a neutral or has a balanced load, how do the electrons get back to the source? Do I understand right that they flow through the load 180 degrees, or 90 degrees in 3 pole circuits, out of phase from each other and return to the source through the other hot conductor? And with AC current the electrons are moving in both directions, correct? Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Then I am trying to understand how a utility meter measures the power used in a building when the electrons are flowing both ways. Do the meters only read electrons flowing one way?
Thanks for your help. I feel like I have a bit of a gap in understanding this concept.
I was wondering if I could get some help understanding 2 and 3 pole circuits. For whatever reason I have had trouble understanding the theory behind the electron flow with them.
I understand that electrons are always trying to go back to the source. With 120V single pole circuits they flow through the hot, through the load, and back on the grounded conductor.
I understand that in a 2 or 3 pole circuit with a neutral, the unbalanced load is carried back on the neutral.
Here are my questions:
On a 2 pole or 3 pole circuit that say does not have a neutral or has a balanced load, how do the electrons get back to the source? Do I understand right that they flow through the load 180 degrees, or 90 degrees in 3 pole circuits, out of phase from each other and return to the source through the other hot conductor? And with AC current the electrons are moving in both directions, correct? Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Then I am trying to understand how a utility meter measures the power used in a building when the electrons are flowing both ways. Do the meters only read electrons flowing one way?
Thanks for your help. I feel like I have a bit of a gap in understanding this concept.