[ausev] CALLING ALL EV-ers - outlet configurations?

[Christopher Robison]

On Wed, 2007-11-28 at 19:40 -0600, Claire Sorenson wrote:
> Chris, in looking at the installation manual, the table "Required Electrical
> Service":
> 
> Voltage - 120/240 VAC or 120/Y208 VAC
> Voltage Phase - single
> Frequency - 60 Hz 
> Service Wire - four 8 AWG wires (must have Line 1, Line 2, Neutral, and
> Ground)
> Circuti Breaker Rating - 40 A
> To reduce risk of fire, connect only to a circuit provided with 40 A maximum
> branch circuit overcurrent protection, in accordance with NEC codes.
> 
> Maybe this explains the difference in what you described below?  This is
> single phase, not split phase?

Welcome to another installment of More Details Than You Were Really
Asking For. I'm your host, and I think we've got a great show for you
today...

Single phase and split phase are slightly different variations on the
same thing. "Split phase" refers to how both 120 and 240 volts are
delivered on 3 wires (plus a ground for newer installations). To get
120, you take half of the 240VAC between the 2 hot wires ("Line 1" or
"Line 2" in the nomenclature above) by going from one of the hot wires
to Neutral.  Between either hot wire and neutral, you have single-phase
120VAC. Between the two hot wires you have 240VAC, also single-phase.

Maybe a little more confusingly, 120Y208 is a 3-phase format, typically
available in commercial or light industrial settings. You have 3 phases
120 degrees apart instead of two at 180 apart, plus a neutral as above.
This wire configuration forms the "Y" (there's also a delta
configuration without the neutral). Just like split-phase, you can get
single-phase at two voltages out of this type of 3-phase supply. The
voltage between any phase and neutral is 120VAC. The voltage between any
two of the phases is 208VAC. When pulled out this way, each is single
phase. When powering a 3-phase load like a big motor, the 3 phases are
used together, and little or no current goes to the neutral.

As an aside, despite being told they'd have 240VAC available, we had to
pull 208V off of the 3-phase available at the Maker Faire.

So basically the salient bits to retain from the above is that it needs
120VAC (probably for running the system) and separately, can take
something 200-250 volts-ish for its main power draw and will pull a
maximum of 40 amps. Like the Manzanita and Zivan chargers it evidently
has a range of voltage for the main input so it can accept 208 and 240.
This means it's flexible and can operate off of split phase and 3-phase
circuits. You just need to adapt the cord.


-- 
Christopher Robison
chris at ohmbre.org
http://ohmbre.org          <-- 1999 Isuzu Hombre + Z2K + Warp13!