The reason why AC current is used in home appliances rather than DC is due to the intrinsic properties of direct currents and their shortcomings in comparison to Alternating Currents (AC). AC currents can, in fact, be easily transported across vast distances with little loss. They’re also safer when they’re in direct contact with an equal voltage.
In this article, we are trying to explain why DC is not commonly used in homes
Why DC Current is Not Used in Homes?
Batteries, electrochemical cells, and solar cells are the most common sources of direct current.
Alternating current is commonly used in power distribution networks for a variety of reasons. The ability to convert from one voltage to another is the most important reason. It’s a lot more difficult and expensive to do this with DC. So, in order to convert DC current, electronic circuits generate AC, which is then turned to DC using a transformer and rectifier.
The procedure of converting AC to DC is carried out in stages. The power supply starts with a transformer, which is then converted to DC with the help of a rectifier. It prevents current reversal and uses a filter to eliminate current pulsations in the rectifier output.
Using an electric transformer, which includes coils with generated magnetic fields coupled, large amounts of AC electricity can be transformed to practically any desired voltage with very little energy loss.
Electrical resistance exists in all conductors that transmit electricity at room temperature, and as a result, they heat up when an electric current passes through them.
The heat produced is proportional to the electrical resistance and the electric current’s quadratic power.
It is critical to keep both resistance and electrical current low in order to reduce energy loss. Due to the exponential effect on losses, a lower current is far more critical than a higher resistance.
By multiplying volts by amperes, the power is computed.
As a result, while the current is kept low, the voltage must be high for a particular power. The numerator of the fraction remains constant in the following equation, but the denominator increases, lowering the fraction’s product.
To regulate high voltage levels and limit losses, massive transformers are utilized in power transmission lines.
High voltages, on the other hand, are dangerous, especially to a man’s life, thus bringing a high voltage current into a residence is not an option.
At local transformers in the dwelling, AC electricity is swiftly and efficiently transformed to an almost safe voltage. It’s not nearly as simple or inexpensive to do this using DC.
- Can’t transfer DC voltage to long distances without losing energy.
- AC is safer than DC for the same voltage. In the case of DC current, muscles contract with a constant force.
- Electrolytic corrosion is higher in DC than in AC
- AC current is more reliable for transferring power over greater distances within cities.
- AC induction motor is easy to handle while DC motors need a communicator and brushes or a complex electronic switching system.
- Based on the requirement, AC current can convert into high voltages from low voltages and vice versa by using a transformer
- Need fewer substations than DC for production and communication.
- The alternating current enters and exits the human body at regular time intervals if the human body is shocked with AC. DC, on the other hand, is continually causing problems for the human body.
Comparison between AC and DC
| S.NO: | Alternating Current | Direct Current |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | AC can be transferred over long distances | DC can’t travel very long distances without the current loss |
| 2 | Due to the rotating magnets, the direction of the electric flow changes. | DC flow in a single direction due to its steady mechanism character. |
| 3 | Electrons in AC keep changing their directions – backward and forward. | Electrons only move in one direction |
| 4 | The AC current’s frequency varies based on the country. Normally the frequency is between 50 – 60 Hz | DC has no frequency or zero frequency. |
| 5 | AC has polarity (+ & -) | DC does not have any polarity |
| 6 | The power factor of AC is lies between 0 and 1 | The power factor always remains 1 |
| 7 | AC is attained from alternator | DC is attained from Generators, batteries, solar cells, and more. |
| 8 | AC’s load is resistive, inductive, or capacitive. | Generally, the nature of DC’s load is resistive |
| 9 | Used in factories, industries, households | Used in electroplating, electrolysis, electronic equipment, and more |
Some Useful Questions
1) Why is AC voltage preferred over DC voltage?
Two reasons why AC voltage is preferred instead of DC voltage are
- The loss of transmission of AC voltage is lesser compared to the DC voltage. Due to this character of AC, it is easy to install when the transformers are at distance.
- AC voltage provides the advantage of being able to step up and step down as needed.
2) What is watt less current?
Wattless current is defined as the current in an AC circuit when the average power consumption is zero.