4 ms·
For the devices that run off of low voltage DC today, lots of other commenters make good points about needing to regulate the voltage anyway, and I'm inclined t
by HALtheWise 7y ago
For the devices that run off of low voltage DC today, lots of other commenters make good points about needing to regulate the voltage anyway, and I'm inclined to agree. Those devices generally use very little power anyway, so it probably isn't worth running a second set of wires because copper is expensive.
On the other hand, the biggest power users in a house (heater, air conditioner, dryer, stove, refrigerator) seem like they are a different story. In a future home with solar power and a high voltage DC battery pack, I think there is opportunity to make appliances that operate from the raw battery voltage, which is in the 300-500v DC range. That way, there isn't any conversion required at all, and those applications should be able to handle slight variations in voltage as the battery discharges.
- pjkundert 7y agoAny high voltage DC distribution system would require every load to have a single run, with intelligent connectors paired with remote switches to shut off the circuit at detection of any detected alteration of the circuit (eg. Ground fault, capacitance change, etc.) High voltage DC is spectacularly more dangerous than high voltage AC.
- woliveirajr 7y agoCould you give more details of this danger?
- maxdamantus 7y agoAn arc on AC is more likely to be extinguished since the current drops to zero many times every second (so eg, on 50 Hz AC, an arc is not likely to last more than 1/100 of a second). DC switches and circuit breakers are designed with greater concern for arcs.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]