Are there any regions of New York City or elsewhere where power transmission
is mostly by direct current at approximately 110/220 volts?
Bill
- posted
14 years ago
Direct current distribution
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- posted
14 years ago
There exist copies of newspaper and magazine ads for home radio
receivers (RCA and others) that were built specifically for the DC
residential distribution of New York's Central Business district. The
ones I've seen were from the 20's and 30's.
I'm not sure when this DC service was discontinued, although I seem to recall that Con Edison provided DC service for elevators well into the 50's and maybe beyond.
I'm sure someone here has the details...
Beachcomber
I'm not sure when this DC service was discontinued, although I seem to recall that Con Edison provided DC service for elevators well into the 50's and maybe beyond.
I'm sure someone here has the details...
Beachcomber
- posted
14 years ago
Didn't NYC originally get a portion wired in DC by Edison?
- posted
14 years ago
The London cinema/theatre area had a 220VDC supply for years,
to power the arc lamps used. The University College London
Physics Department also took this and the building was wired
with 220VDC outlets (in addition to 240VAC and 12VAC outlets)
throughout, for powering experiments. I recall using the 220VDC
supply for an experiment to measure the temperature of a carbon
arc. In 1980 when I was there, the 220VDC supply was generated
in the basement as the external supply had been discontinued by
then, but I believe that only happened 2 or 3 years before,
which would be late 1970's.
- posted
14 years ago
"Beachcomber" wrote
They still do supply DC in NYC. but I think they are trying to phase it out.
As a first step:
formatting link
my guess is within 10 years they will try to have all DC systems supplied as
AC to the customer and then customer rectified.- posted
14 years ago
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Yes- The Pearl street station was the first "central station". However, the DC system at "user" voltage levels was very limited due to voltage drops with reasonable sizes of conductors -say 1/2 mile radius so multiple small stations had to be used. The transformer invented by Gaullard & Gibbs made AC practical for longer distances and Tesla's polyphase system and motors put the dirt on the grave of DC distribution (as opposed to HVDC transmission which wasn't viable 'til much later). --
Don Kelly snipped-for-privacy@shawcross.ca remove the X to answer
Yes- The Pearl street station was the first "central station". However, the DC system at "user" voltage levels was very limited due to voltage drops with reasonable sizes of conductors -say 1/2 mile radius so multiple small stations had to be used. The transformer invented by Gaullard & Gibbs made AC practical for longer distances and Tesla's polyphase system and motors put the dirt on the grave of DC distribution (as opposed to HVDC transmission which wasn't viable 'til much later). --
Don Kelly snipped-for-privacy@shawcross.ca remove the X to answer
- posted
14 years ago
Thanks for the information. I was pretty sure someone here would know.
I have been away from New York City, except for short visits, for over 50 years. I do remember motor-generator sets for running x-ray machines. I also was aware that buyers of sewing machines in the New York needle trades needed to worry about ac and dc. IIRC, especially with my limited knowledge of that time, dc machines would use some form of resistor speed control and start-up. I think that ac machines had their motors running continuously and engaged by clutches.
I have a suspicion that it may take well over ten years to complete conversion to ac.
Bill
I have been away from New York City, except for short visits, for over 50 years. I do remember motor-generator sets for running x-ray machines. I also was aware that buyers of sewing machines in the New York needle trades needed to worry about ac and dc. IIRC, especially with my limited knowledge of that time, dc machines would use some form of resistor speed control and start-up. I think that ac machines had their motors running continuously and engaged by clutches.
I have a suspicion that it may take well over ten years to complete conversion to ac.
Bill
- posted
14 years ago
The last 25Hz rotary converter substation on the Subway was shut down
in 1999, this would have been the last low frequency supply, and I
have a feeling that I read somewhere that Con Ed stopped supplying
their last customers with d.c. at about the same time.
- posted
13 years ago
I may be wrong, but I thought there was an article in one of the IEEE
magazines a couple of years ago about the last DC feeder being removed. It
was a big deal at the time. I will see if I can find it.
Ben Miller
Ben Miller
- posted
13 years ago
Someone previously posted an article
November 14, 2007 "Today, Con Edison will end 125 years of direct current electricity service that began when Thomas Edison opened his Pearl Street power station on Sept. 4, 1882. Con Ed will now only provide alternating current..."
November 14, 2007 "Today, Con Edison will end 125 years of direct current electricity service that began when Thomas Edison opened his Pearl Street power station on Sept. 4, 1882. Con Ed will now only provide alternating current..."
- posted
13 years ago
That looks the one I was thinking of. Thanks!
Ben Miller
Ben Miller