Onboard AC Power

BobDDuck

BobDDuck

Island Bus Driver
Why is it that a beat up Amtrak Coach class train car can have a 120volt AC power plug in every seat and not one airplane is able to manage that. Those stupid $100 adaptors don't even work all the time. Thank you Amtrak (and I thought I would NEVER say that!)
 
I would venture to guess that it also has to do with the equipment required for converting voltages (weight). I assume a 737 doesn't run a 120V electrical system, but I really don't know.

Also, a locomotive is basically a huge diesel electric generator attached to electric motors. I would guess that a hundred household 120V outlets running laptops would be small potatoes to a train's power system.
 
Actually the 737's primary electrical system is AC 115V. However, it runs at 400Hz, which, I imagine is not really good on home electronics. However, I could be wrong.
 
We had a flight attendant plug his laptop into the outlet on the ERJ and he says it fired his laptop... 2nd hand info... for what it's worth.
 
Lights and system control circuits operate on 28V so a 120V AC wiring would have to be added,120V is high enough voltage to kill you or cause more intense arching if insulation fails ,safety may be an issue [SWISSAIR accident]
Dont know the 737 specs but the old 727 had 3 generatores that pruduce 40KW each .At a modest 400W per outlet and about 100 installed at peak use 40 KW would be needed Im guessing this is probably too much of an extra load for the electrical system
 
Captain_Bob said:
We had a flight attendant plug his laptop into the outlet on the ERJ and he says it fired his laptop...
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Did it pay out unused vacation and offer a severance? :)
 
jetman said:
120V is high enough voltage to kill you or cause more intense arching if insulation fails
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voltage doesnt kill, amperage does. voltage is electircal potential, and like you mention how far electricy will arc through something is related to voltage, but 120v isnt much to worry about. It only takes about .1 amp do stop your heart.

and for reference, the outlets in your house (if you are in the US) are 120VAC@60Hz probably breakered at 15 amps for each branch.
 
casey said:
voltage doesnt kill, amperage does. voltage is electircal potential, and like you mention how far electricy will arc through something is related to voltage, but 120v isnt much to worry about. It only takes about .1 amp do stop your heart.

and for reference, the outlets in your house (if you are in the US) are 120VAC@60Hz probably breakered at 15 amps for each branch.
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Saying 120V will kill you was in the context of the original post.
I=E/R tells me that for a given R of the human body,Voltage is the factor that determines how much current is going to flow
The same system run at 12V would not pose any danger no matter how many Amps and yes what kills is the current but there has to be enough voltage to overcome the resistance

The electrical code allows a maximun of 12 outlets per branch breakered at 15 considering not all are going to be used at the same time ,for the kitchen split 20 amps,dryers and hot water tanks 30 and stove 50 [this is what i remember from rewiring my house]
 
Doug, I got the joke. It was funny. Really.

As to my origional post... I know why they don't have power wired into aircraft. Heck, IFE stuff causes enough problems. I was just commenting on how it was nice Amtrak does and how airlines could.
 
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