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HSC PHYSICS > MOTORS AND GENERATORS| AC & DC

Gather secondary information to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of AC and DC generators and relate these to their use.

AC generators

Advantages
 The slip rings of an AC generator have a continuous surface that allows the brushes to remain in contact with the ring’s surface. Thus the brushes in an AC generator do not wear out as fast as in a DC generator as they do not create an electric short circuit every half-turn.  Therefore they required less maintenance and is more reliable that DC generators.  AC’s voltage can be changed by transformers. It is more readily transformed to different voltages than DC.  Because of this property, AC can travel longer distances on
This allowed AC to be generated at moderately low voltages, increased to high voltages (low current) when needed to journey long distances, and decreased again to lower voltages for the consumers. The higher voltage not only meant that AC could travel over greater distances than DC, but it allowed it to do so with smaller energy losses as a higher voltage would run on lower current. This allowed for lighter conductors, and fewer power stations with greater distances between, giving the use of AC to supply electricity to cities economic advantages. Because AC generators do not require a commutator, they are also more reliable, requiring less maintenance than DC generators.

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HSC PHYSICS > MOTORS AND GENERATORS| AC & DC

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Bibliography

Generators for large scale power production, 2011, HSC Online, accessed 5 May 2013, Alternator, 2013, Wikipedia, accessed 5 May 2013, The "War of Currents", 2009, Write Work, accessed 5 May 2013, ERB 2013 Nikola Tesla vs Thomas Edison. Epic Rap Battles of History Season 2.,online video, 11 March, accessed 5 May 2013,

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 Edison tried to discourage the use of AC by claiming the high voltage used for AC transmission made it more dangerous. He publically electrocuted animals with