As in mainland Europe in the UK most cables and wires are described by their area - so much easier to understand than strange (to us) numbers which may indicate the "wire gauge", the cable structure, or the current carrying capacity (but is that in open air, buried or what?). On single core cables the CSA should be marked - the interval depends on the cable size; on multi-core (two or more individually insulated cables in one sheath) cables the outer will have two figures, the CSA of the individual core plus the number of cores, again the interval is determined by the overall cable diameter. Other markings may indicate the insulation type, the operating temperature range, the manufacturer, screen and/or armour type (if applicable).

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

Good morning. Looks like we get a break from the heat. 60 f now with a high in the mid-80s. Much more reasonable than the high 90s we just had.

Winning at the beginning of another Saturday down under so I better hit the sack.

Cheers.

I'm not criticizing what Vic is doing. I'm just amazed that in the USA you can solve such a dire infrastructure deficiency on your own with simple (relatively cheap) adapters, which is impossible in Europe. In my large apartment in the city I have 400/230 Volts, 3 x 32 amps at the switchboard. In theory that's a maximum of 22 kilowatts. A decent amount of power.

If I want to merge three regular 230V sockets to one 400V three-phase industrial socket with a homemade adapter, I have to identify three sockets first, which are each connected to a different phase (separate circuit and different live wire). There is typically one socket circuit in each room (1x16A) or even many rooms share the same circuit. In newly built houses you will find two separate socket circuits at least in the kitchen (2 x 16A), e.g. for a microwave or the dishwasher... something like that. I also have two socket circuits in the bathroom (extra one for a washing machine). But that's not usual.

Of course kitchens have an electric stove connection (400V, 3x16A, 11 kilowatts) but screwed on with a plastic cover. I'm not legally allowed to put a three-phase 400V industrial socket on there with DIY means. Instead I would have to look for three 230V sockets in at least two or three different rooms. So I would have to unroll at least two small cable reels in my apartment. Then hurry down in the basement, triggering one of three main fuses at a time to determine which of these sockets is connected to which phase (live wire). Having identified three sockets with distinct live wires I could start to connect my homemade adapter (3 x 230V --> 400V). Wooha, but I have to observe the rotation direction of the three AC phases (three sinus waves, each shifted by 120 degrees):



That means the sequence which plug of the adapter to plug into which socket is important. The sequence must be correct (1,2,3,1,2... not 1,3,2,1,3, ...), otherwise the built-in charger in the BEV surely would refuse charging. Or I would eventually damage or destroy it.

Conclusion: Such DIY cables/adapters is impossible in Europe, completely crazy. That's why you can't buy them anywhere. This also means: If you want to charge your BEV at home, you have to stick to 2.3 kilowatts for the foreseeable future; while Vic is going to charge his BEV with 240 Volts, 50 amps (12 kilowatts?) soon. Impressive.

I hope someone understood that technobabble.

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That means the sequence which plug of the adapter to plug into which socket is important. The sequence must be correct (1,2,3,1,2... not 1,3,2,1,3, ...), otherwise the built-in charger in the BEV surely would refuse charging. Or I would eventually damage or destroy it.

This isn't quite true:
For rotating machines (e.g. a 3-phase electric motor) rotation may be in the wrong direction, or the motor will not start.
Fr the vast majority of "electronic" devices (like BEV chargers) the incoming phase sequence is not that relevant, unless they are "source-phase referenced" which is very rare outside multiple power input devices where input-phase synchronisation is essential (which means all inputs must be 1,2,3,1,2,3 - normally one of the inputs will be considered to be the input that defines the correct sequence).

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

Don't cross the phases?...!!! (A Ghostbuster's quote... Enjoy!)


Still under the dark and damp over here.

None-the-less:

Enjoying my last days of reprieve before oncemore over to the Food Desert...

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Oh thanks, I didn't know these facts about high power AC chargers and multiple input devices. I only referred the standards for industrial sockets/plugs from memory, which define the position resp. sequence of pins (e.g. PE, N, L1, L2, L3), thereby defining the rotation direction of the three AC phases... at least if every cable/plug/socket adheres to the standard.

Btw. it's about time for this thread to have a winner, isn't it?

We are all winners for enjoying the thread!

Enjoy!!

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Winning with the sound of rain on my roof.

Now to boil some of that rainwater for a coffee.

Cheers.

Congrats McDuck.

Cheers.

Congrats Mr Duck. Guess I'm too late this time.

Before letting today get too long the temp reached a sunny, but windy, 11C (feels like 6C) here today.

Cheers.