Someone told me that a 240V circuit does not require a neutral wire in the cable. Can anyone explain this phenomenon from the electricity perspective and generally explain why circuits do and do not need a neutral wire?
In a 120/240V single split phase system, the two ungrounded (hot) legs are actually connected to the secondary winding of the distribution transformer. The transformer actually steps down the voltage to 240 volts, so the two legs are a complete 240 volt circuit.
The grounded (neutral) conductor is connected to the center of the coil (center tap), which is why it provides half the voltage.
Therefore, if a device requires only 240V, only two ungrounded (hot) conductors are required to supply the device. If a device runs on 120V, one ungrounded (hot) conductor and one grounded (neutral) conductor are needed. If a device needs both 120V and 240V, then two ungrounded (hot) conductors and one grounded (neutral) conductor must be used.
If you connect a load between one of the ungrounded conductors, and the grounded (neutral) conductor. You can also get a complete circuit, though it''s only through half of the coil.
Since these circuits only include half the coil, the voltage is also half (Es = EpNs/Np).
For the second part: clothes dryers often have 240 V heaters and 120 V motors. Stoves use 240 V for the elements and 120 V for the light bulbs. These are both plug-in and need the neutral.
My new electric hot-water heater is 240 V, not plug-in, and uses the old 120 V wiring. The electrician doing the install marked the "old" neutral with black tape at each end to warn that it''s now hot, and that there''s no neutral......
In some wiring codes, each individual plug in a duplex outlet in a kitchen needs a separate breaker. They run a 240 V line to the plug, wire two hot lines each to the hot on a different plug, wire the one neutral line to both neutrals, and break off the tab connecting the two hots.
AC current requires a return path, electricity goes out one way and back the other. With 120V wiring in the US, you have a center tapped transformer with two hots that total 240V. The neutral is that center tap, which combined with only one of the hots gives you 120V. Use both of the hots and you have 240V. The only need for the neutral is to get a 120V circuit. It''s smart to wire a 240V circuit with a neutral conductor even if you don''t need it for the current appliance since it''s easier to run the extra wire once in case you need it in the future, but that''s not required and electricians often cut these sorts of corners since that third conductor adds a lot to the wire cost.
Separate from the neutral is the ground, and this does need to be run on every circuit (though that wasn''t always the case).
Ground or earth is same together. In electrical systems wiring system is a conductor that provides a low impedance path to the earth to prevent dangerous voltages from looking on equipment. The terms "ground" (North American practice) and "earth" (most other English-speaking countries) are used synonymously here). Under normal conditions, a grounding conductor does not carry current. But Neutral is a circuit conductor that carries current in normal operation, which is connected to ground (or earth). Ref. wikipedia
Simply put, neutral is just another conductor. It has no relation to the safety grounding system, except the one we created when we bonded the system. It''s called "neutral" because it''s the conductor nearest ground voltage.
It''s arbitrarily chosen which conductor to bond to ground. It''s possible to put the neutral in a weird place (wild-leg delta) or to bond no wires at all (normal delta) and thus have no neutral.
If we were somewhere this would make sense, say, the Philippines... we could even corner-bond a 120/240 split-phase system, so the middle wire is 120V from neutral and the far wire is 240V from neutral. Point is, it''s arbitrary.
ground is an escape ramp for errant voltage to use rather than use our bodies! should we get in a circuit.
Ground- [Assuming you meant ground CONDUCTOR.] The conductor intended to accomplish the earthing of a piece of equipment. Usually done via a bare conductor. It is done because the earth has an inconsistent and often high impedance. I.e. it''s a poor conductor.
Neutral- Conductor designed to carry current during normal and abnormal operation. Is usually connected to local power system''s ground at the point of supply only, no where else. Thus, is "typically" at a low potential and safe to touch.
During NORMAL operation these can APPEAR quite similar. But the differences are quite significant and should not be trivialized.
simple answer. You check the wiring diagram for what the device requires and if it says 240v 1PH or single phase -thats just two hots and a ground and if the device says 240v 3PH or 3 phase then its two hots, a neutral, and a ground.
All right, I don''t get it.I tried and tried, but I just don''t understand.I have a dozen questions about this so somebody just pick one out all of these, I don''t care.
What''s inside a North American residential 240 V pole transformer?
Is it (secondary) double iron core windings with 120 V on each core and each end of the coil has one hot and one neutral wire that get tied in series to add up to 240 V?
Are there two sine waves in a (secondary) double iron core transformer or one?
Are there two sine waves in a (secondary) single iron core center tapped transformer or one?
If either of the two types of transformers do truly have two sine waves, are they 180° opposite from each other at peak?
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