×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Which is more common - split phase or 3 phase wye?

Which is more common - split phase or 3 phase wye?

Which is more common - split phase or 3 phase wye?

(OP)
In an industrial laboratory environment - (metalurgical / chemical lab) - which is likely to be more available a) split phase wiring which would allow me to get a 240v supply from the two hot legs b) 3 phase wye wiring which would allow me to get a 208v supply or c) both are usually available in the same lab. I've a heater in some equipment which is borderline in capacity and the prospect of only having 208v available might mean I can't get sufficient heat from my equipment.

Cheers

Mark

RE: Which is more common - split phase or 3 phase wye?

That's really going to be location specific.  If this lab is within a large industrial facility, then 208/120 three-phase will be much more common.  If it is in a strip mall, then probably 120/240 single phase will be provided.  When designing industrial facilities I usually try to avoid any 120/240 V panels.

For specific equipment not available in the voltage that you have, a buck/boost autotransformer can be used to obtain the desired voltage.  Changing from 208 V to 240 V or vice versa doesn't take much of an autotransformer since the voltage difference is so small.  

RE: Which is more common - split phase or 3 phase wye?

I agree. If you are specifying a power source for your equipment and if 208V may not work, then simply specify that criteria. Provide or require a boost transformer to supply the voltage you really need rather than try to 2nd guess what the user may have. It's pointless because they have what they have.

By the way, in answer to c), there is rarely if ever a dual service in a facility.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources