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Power Supply Applications and Types

If you remember something from physics class, you remember some stuff about AC DC. Well, those are the types of power supplies. All of them have different applications and tasks so it's only normal to have power conversion solutions when you need a different kind of power supply from the one you have.

Main Types of Power Supply

Based on the polarity of the voltage and the direction of current, there are two types of power supply: AC and DC.

DC Power Supply

DC power supply has a fixed polarity. What this means is that the magnitude and direction of the current doesn’t change with time. DC power supply has no factor and no frequency. Natural sources of DC power supplies include batteries or solar panels.

Alternatively, we can use power conversion solutions to get DC from AC using the rectifier circuit. It is also possible to convert DC to DC like in military DC DC power supply. Now I know it doesn’t make sense but allow me to explain. In DC DC conversion, the type of power supply remains the same. Aspects like voltage are what changes.

AC Power Supply

Alternating current on the other hand has no polarity. Instead, its polarity changes with time according to its frequency. In an AC power supply setup, the magnitude and direction of the current also changes with time.

The main source of AC power supply is the alternator. The alternator is an electrical machine that can convert mechanical energy into electrical energy in the form of alternating current.

Power Supply Applications

DC Power Supply Applications

DC power supply is widely used in low voltage applications like charging batteries, automotive and aircraft applications. In a nutshell, DC power supply is mostly used for low voltage, low current applications. 

Common applications of DC power in the PV industry are portable solar systems and other off-grid applications. To keep costs down for such a system, don’t use a solar inverter to convert DC to AC.

In the military, military DC DC power supply is used in supplying power to military equipment as well as power systems.

AC Power Supply Applications

Home and office outlets are almost always using AC. The reason for this is because generating and transporting AC over long distances is relatively easy. DC is not used for these purposes because there is more power lost to heat than in AC which raises the risks of producing a fire as well as higher costs. 

At high voltages like 110kV, less energy is lost in electrical power transmission. Higher voltages mean lower currents and lower currents mean less heat generated in the power line due to resistance. AC can be converted from high voltages easily using transformers.

AC is also more popular when it comes to powering electric motors. A motor is basically a device that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Popular appliances in your house that rely on this include dishwashers, toasters and garbage disposals.

DC/AC

The choice between DC and AC is not really a choice. Each of them has their advantages over the other and each of them is suitable for specific applications over their counterpart.

Essentially, DC is better for low voltage, low current applications and AC is better for the opposite.

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