The Advantages of AC Power over DC Power

Which is better, alternating current or direct current? Back in the 1880s, that question generated an all-out current war between two geniuses. On the one side, Thomas Edison pushed that direct current was safer and would cause less hazard of electrocution. However, it proved to be cheaper and easier to transmit the power of alternating current over long distances. This was the stance of Edison's competitor, Nikola Tesla.

More Power
Probably the biggest advantage of AC over DC is that you can generate much more power from AC than DC. Alternating current is generated by large turbines. Direct current normally comes from batteries or sometimes from solar panels. Solar panels large enough to power entire cities would take huge amounts of land. Batteries use chemical reactions to produce electricity. Producing a huge battery would be expensive and impractical. Large turbines can be easily built and powered using steam, nuclear or hydraulic power.

Long Distance Transmission

The ability to generate higher voltages with AC translates into the ability to transmit that power over longer distances. Alternating current is generated at power stations and transmitted through power lines to substations that can boost AC and keep it going farther distances.

Conversion
In some operations, direct current may be preferred. However, it is easy to convert AC to DC by using simple transformers. It is much more difficult and costly to convert DC to AC.

Alternating Current in the Home

One of the reasons that AC is better than DC in the home is that AC can be stepped up or down using transformers. On the other hand, when using DC, the power supply must match the load it powers. If you have a 120 volt lamp, then you need a 120 volt battery. If the battery is 240 volts, then the voltage can be reduced using a resistor, but, that would waste half the voltage.

Commercial Advantages
Another advantage of the use of alternating current lies in manufacturing and other production facilities that drive the economy. Electric motors are used to drive conveyors and other equipment. The advantages of the AC motor are that they can yield a higher output of horsepower than DC motors and they are simpler in function than a DC motor. Also, transformers allow AC to be stepped up or down where it is needed to drive different sized motors.

What Is the Difference Between AC & DC Electricity?

It includes all basic difference.

The Advantages & Disadvantages of AC and Dc

AC may be better for one application, while DC may be better for another. Engineers need to Take various aspects of a particular application into account to decide between the two. VOLTAGE Transformation A big advantage that AC electricity has over DC electricity is that it can be easily transformed from a high voltage level to a low voltage level using a device known as a transformer. The cables used to transmit electricity over long distances resist that flow, so high voltages have to be used to push the electricity along them. These voltages would be dangerously high if they came into homes or business environments, so transformers are used to lower the voltage of the electricity before it is delivered to the end user. In the United States, electricity is delivered to end users at 120 volts.

Reactance
When electricity flows down a cable, it generates an electro-magnetic field. When the current changes, as it does with AC current, a counter electro-magnetic field is produced that acts as a resistance to the power being transmitted. These means that AC transmission of electricity loses power due to both resistance and to reactance. Because DC power transmission never changes direction, it is not susceptible to power loss as a result of reactance.