pic microcontroller discussion list <> wrote on Friday, July 11, 2003 9:51
AM:

> Furthermore, here (in Hungary) the voltage levels had been as you
> wrote. But a long time (10 years?) ago it has been changed to 230V /
> 400V respectively, due to European requirements. Needless to say,
> people got stuck on telling 220V and they are completely perplexed if
> 230V is said which is the real value. I guess whole Europe uses now
> 230V / 400V (except England where the phase voltage is 240V I heard).

As you might guess, it isn't quite that simple...

Before the EU, most of Europe was on 220V, +/- 6%, the UK was on 240V, +/-
6%.  In the spirit of all getting on together (and more importantly,
selling goods to each other!), it was "bureaucratically normalised"- read
on!

In the first stage, those countries who used 220V +/-6% (207-233V) were
changed to 230V -6/+10% (207-242) and the UK went from 225-254V to 230V
+10/-6% (216-253V).  You will notice that the bottom 220V voltage and the
top 240V voltage barely changed

Now European mains supplies are harmonised to 230V +/-10% (207-253V).
3-phase supplies went from 380V and 415V to 400V +/-10% (230 * sqrt(3)), in
answer to the original question.

The overall result is that nothing has changed for the supply companies,
but supplies can cover a wider range of voltage.  The supply companies were
able to keep all their existing transformer taps etc, as all the old
voltage ranges come within the new voltage ranges.  The changeover period
was there to give product manufacturers some time to ensure their goods
could work across a wider voltage range.

However, in England (and the rest of the UK :-) ), most people will refer
to the mains supply as 240V (and when I measure it, it usually is about
240V rms), and understandably look very confused if you try to explain the
above to them... much like in Hungary, I suspect...

And if you thought that was confusing, the colours used in 3-phase wiring
have been changed from red, blue and yellow to black, black and, er, black,
and fire extinguishers changed from the easily identified colours (black
for CO2, cream for foam, red for water, etc) to red, red and, er, red (with
a small concession for a coloured panel to show the 'old' colour)...

Apparently the story about requiring tulips to bloom in grey and stamping
them with a CE mark is just a hoax :-)

And you'll never get us on to those unfused Schuko plugs, OK! :)  Well,
maybe...

Nigel
--
Nigel Orr, Design Engineer                 nigel@axoninstruments.co.uk
Axon Instruments Ltd., Wardes Road,Inverurie,Aberdeenshire,UK,AB51 3TT
               Tel:+44 1467 622332 Fax:+44 1467 625235
                   http://www.axoninstruments.co.uk

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