European & other industrial Voltage levels around the wo

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megloff11x

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I had a book that had a big list of every residential and industrial Voltage and frequency option for every country. I can not find it, nor remember the title, though it's probably taunting me from the bookshelf in plain sight. A web search didn't turn up the information either.

Does anyone have a link or remember the title of the book (or any book with this info)?

Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most. Hopefully I remember where I parked my car...

And for a quick one, does Europe have 480 3-phase 50Hz as a standard Voltage option?

Matt
 
"And for a quick one, does Europe have 480 3-phase 50Hz as a standard Voltage option? "


It's been about 9 years so I don't remember the actual voltages, but I'm about 99% sure 480 is not there. I worked for a German company and the machines came from Germany, we had a 480 v 60hz system and we had to put transformers to convert to 50hz and (someone will correct me) 340v?
 
You could try my website, which contains a database for this.

www.global-electron.com

It's reasonably accurate, but hasn't been updated for ages. :oops:

And to answer your question: 480V is not available in Europe.

400V 50 Hz is available in all* industrial and commercial facilites and a good many homes. (Unlike North America, there is only one system, 230/400V, and it is used for all purposes.)

*) A few facilities have old 230V only and 500V systems. Those who do are all to aware of it.
 
Thanks all. I haven't been out of the country in five years. I believe I had better memory back then too.

I'll ask it again to be curmudgeonly and un-politically correct: "Why didn't we make them standardize on our systems after WW II, which we won, and while they were in rubble and had to start from scratch anyway?"

Matt
 
hockeyoligist2 said:
"And for a quick one, does Europe have 480 3-phase 50Hz as a standard Voltage option? "


It's been about 9 years so I don't remember the actual voltages, but I'm about 99% sure 480 is not there. I worked for a German company and the machines came from Germany, we had a 480 v 60hz system and we had to put transformers to convert to 50hz and (someone will correct me) 340v?
Click to expand...

I will correct you. Transformers cannot change the frequency of the power, only the voltage.
 
megloff11x said:
I'll ask it again to be curmudgeonly and un-politically correct: "Why didn't we make them standardize on our systems after WW II, which we won, and while they were in rubble and had to start from scratch anyway?"
Click to expand...

Because you didn't bomb it that much. Some countries escaped the war with nothing more than food rationing and shortage of everything and anything. (In houses built during WWII they used whatever fuse boxes, switches and outlets they could get hold of.)

But, yes, the voltages were changed. From 110V AC or DC, 127 AC and other funny voltages to 220V or 240V after the war. The transition had already begun before the war and when the massive post war construction began the only logical choice was to use the system that used the least copper. Changing the frequency was impractical, as many power stations were still standing after the war.

Given todays copper prices, except 600V introduced as standard voltage in homes, using #20 NM-B for the wiring :wink:
 
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