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AC Vs DC - Energy Education
AC Vs DC - Energy Education
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AC vs DC
There are two types of electrical current, AC and DC. One flows back and forth alternating
directions: alternating current. The other flows consistently in the same direction direct current. This
page discusses the differences between the two, along with the advantages each carries along with it.
Alternating current is produced within most types of power plants by spinning generators.
The direction of current reverses, or alternates, 50-60 times per second depending on a
country's standards.[1] Alternating current is the current that travels through power lines and
comes through the power outlets found throughout a home or building. There are various
reasons why AC was the current of choice to perform this task, which will be discussed below.
Direct current is produced by power sources like batteries, fuel cells, and solar panels. Such
power sources have two terminals that are positive and negative respectively, which creates a
relatively constant voltage for electrons to flow through. Current always flows in the same
direction between these two terminals.[1]
Advantages of each
Alternating current uses of varying voltage and flow of electrons within a conductor. Direct current
flows in one direction and with a relatively constant current (charge flowing by a point per unit time).
The way each can be manipulated, however, is what is important, and provides clear advantages for
certain applications among the two.
Advantages of AC
AC is the current of choice for power plants and the electrical grid as a whole. When a plug is
connected to an electrical outlet, alternating current comes out, providing power to countless devices
like light bulbs and refrigerators. AC is preferred for this application because:
There are cheap and reliable ways of increasing or decreasing the voltage using transformers,
which minimizes power loss in electrical transmission.
Resistance reduces the energy transmitted in a wire. By increasing the voltage on the wires to very
high voltages for long distance transmission, this loss can be reduced. The loss of power () is given
by the equation:[4]
where:
Efficient transmission saves power companies and consumers a lot of money, which helps reduce
pollution since power plants do not need to make up for lost electricity by using more fuel.
Advantages of DC
A big advantage of direct current is that it is easier to change the speed of a DC electric motor than it
is for an AC one. This is useful in many applications, such as electric and hybrid cars.[5]
Direct current is used in essentially all consumer electronics, since transistors (the building blocks of
modern electronics) rely on it to operate. Devices that use DC current include cell phones, laptops,
TVs and much more.
Direct current may also be used to transmit electricity with even greater efficiency than alternating
current over extremely large distances by use of HVDC transmission (high-voltage direct current).
Along with higher efficiency, HVDC also allows for different AC systems (ie. 50 Hz and 60 Hz) to be
connected.[6]
Electrical transmission
Electrical grid
Electrical generation
Distribution grid
Or explore a random page!
References
1. How Stuff Works. (Accessed December 30, 2015). Direct Current Versus Alternating Current
[Online], Available: http://science.howstuffworks.com/electricity8.htm
:
2. http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/circuit-construction-kit/circuit-construction-kit-ac_en.jnlp
3. http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/circuit-construction-kit/circuit-construction-kit-ac_en.jnlp
4. R. Paynter and B.J. Boydell, "Transmission Lines and Substations" in Introduction to
Electricity, 1st ed., Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2011, ch.25, sec.3, pp.1102-1104
5. Private communication with M. Pigman power engineer for Tacoma Power, Sept. 17th, 2015.
6. Spark Fun. (Accessed December 30, 2015). Alternating Current vs. Direct Current [Online],
Available: https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/alternating-current-ac-vs-direct-current-dc