U.S. - 3 Phase primary wiring on uitlity poles

[foolios]

From what I've been reading, phases are the description of how much current and voltage lead each other.

These wires have fields around them, so it makes me wonder:

We have three phase wires on our utility poles; A, B, C. Are these three phases in phase with each other? Or are they different in order to create some kind of inductance? I am just wondering if somehow the reason we use 3 seperate wires to transmit the power is because we are somehow using these phases in a way to motivate current along, to help the voltage do its work in each wire move the current along.

Or is there some other reason this is so?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Mr Sworld]

Three Phase electrical power.

 

[Apache]

Assuming it's the same in the US as the UK - 3 phase comes about because of the way the power is generated at 3 points in the generator.

The phases are, therefore at 120

 

[Andy™]

From what I've been reading, phases are the description of how much current and voltage lead each other. These wires have fields around them, so it makes me wonder:

We have three phase wires on our utility poles; A, B, C. Are these three phases in phase with each other? Or are they different in order to create some kind of inductance? I am just wondering if somehow the reason we use 3 seperate wires to transmit the power is because we are somehow using these phases in a way to motivate current along, to help the voltage do its work in each wire move the current along.

Or is there some other reason this is so?

Thanks in advance.

not sure about your wiring system but its similar to our. there are 3 phases, 120 degrees apart. each phase is 230v to earth, 400v to each other.

Wikimedia Error

goes into in in a bit more detail

 

[Apache]

Mass pushy shovey!

 

[EL Zappo]

The generators in the U.S. also run faster than the U.K.s running at 3600rpm / 60hz . Uk gens run slower at 3000rpm / 50hz .