"Commander Kinsey" wrote in message
news
On Wed, 09 Oct 2019 18:55:22 +0100, AlexK wrote:



"Commander Kinsey" wrote in message
news
On Tue, 08 Oct 2019 00:35:08 +0100, AlexK wrote:



"Commander Kinsey" wrote in message
news On Sun, 06 Oct 2019 22:42:41 +0100, AlexK wrote:



"Commander Kinsey" wrote in message
news On Sun, 06 Oct 2019 06:02:46 +0100, AlexK wrote:



"Commander Kinsey" wrote in message
news On Sun, 06 Oct 2019 00:05:40 +0100, AlexK wrote:



"Commander Kinsey" wrote in message
news I thought all motors created the same inductive load,

But not necessarily on the mains, that's what matters
with the more sophisticated motors used in stuff like
washing machines etc now.

Are they fed by altered AC or by DC?

They arent on the mains. They are driven by the electronics.
Similar to the difference between a conventional transformered
power supply and a modern switch mode power supply instead.

I know they don't get driven directly from the mains, as they need
to
go
different speeds.

So their power factor is no longer relevant to the mains.

But are they DC or AC?

It isnt the black and white with those. Same with universal motors.

Explain.

Universal motors run on AC or DC, that's where the name comes from.

So what do washing machines use, AC or DC?

It isnt that black and white with the more fancy
motors used in the best washing machine designs.

since they can rotate either way, does that mean they have to be DC?
Or
can it be AC using different coils?

Or driven differently. Is a stepper motor DC or AC ?

I don't know. I've only used them briefly in radio control models,
but
not looked at the circuitry in great detail.

You don't need to. You know the basics of how they are
driven. The problem is with whether that is called AC or DC.
Strictly speaking it isnt either.

Does the current flow one way or both?

That's not what determines if its AC or DC.

Yes it is.

No it isnt.

For example a pulse width modulated voltage, which is only either 0V or
12V, is still DC.

Its still DC when the direction of the current changes with
an agitating direct drive top loading washing machine.

It's not a steady DC, but the current's only traveling one way.

Not with an agitating direct drive top loading washing machine.

and had to be compensated for if you wanted unity PF.

There is no point in the cost of doing that with domestic
appliances.

I know, I just thought that was the only way to remove the PF of
any
motor.

The other obvious way is to drive it with the electronics
instead of having it on the mains. Most obviously with
a stepper motor, although that isnt what is used in
washing machines.

Depends what the electronics is as to whether it blocks the PF?

Its not blocking that matters, what matters in this
context is what the mains sees of the entire appliance.

That's my point. Can PF be seen through a transformer or power
supply?

No it cant with those fancy motors in washing machines etc now.

I thought I'd try to find out a typical power factor for a domestic
street, so I checked https://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/

That doesn't show that for domestic streets.

Although it doesn't have power factor measured, I was interested to see
that at the current time (3pm Wed 9th Oct 2019), wind power is generated
one THIRD of the UK's usage. I thought renewables were pitiful....

Any idea where I can find out what a typical home's power factor is
nowadays?

Only real way to do that would be to measure
it and its unlikely that anyone does that much.

I thought power companies liked to know these things for transmission line
efficiency

They don't bother with houses. Just accept
the fact that its never going to be 1.

- hence business are charged extra for a bad PF.

But houses don't.

This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
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You can turn that off

New computer and I forgot.

and it isnt an email, it's a usenet post.

Tell AVG that.

They arent interested.