World Electrical Standard?

Hello hastingselectric

We had several "Electrical Standards".

1. Electrical Supply.
2. Electrical Lines.
3. Electrical Wiring.
4. Code of Practice for Caravans.
5. Electrical Safety for Power tools.
6. Electrical Safety for Appliance.
7. Standards for Voltage and Plugs/Socket outlets.

There were more..........

If you advise which Electrical Standard you want listed, it will be easier to Post here.....

Meanwhile here are a few useful Weblinks:

http://users.pandora.be/worldstandards/electricity.htm

http://www.safetylink.com/

Sorry, I am ignorant!

We only have one National Standard. (NEC, minor changes by local authorities) How can we communicate....?

James

In the U.S. there is also a National Electric Safety Code (NESC) in addition to the NEC (National Electrical Code) as well as the minor changes by state and local authorities and electric utilities mentioned by hastingselectric so it kind of depends upon what you are dealing with (construction standards, safety etc.).

Personally, I don't have a problem communicating with regard to national and international standards. Where there are conflicts I simply choose to meet the most stringent requirements. By doing so you will automatically conform to those less restrictive (keeping in mind that all standards only define minimum requirements).

Let us not forget NFPA79 (if I remeber my numbers right) that also dictates the standards for wiring and such.

I am not involved with Electrical Codes as such, but I believe the concept of using the forum to standardize on code topics is great. Could we as a forum expand this concept to other code areas, or is this already being done?

I agree with you. I hope they consolidate into a world code. I may answer a question, based on US code because I thought the individual was located in the US. Only to be informed their requirements are different. Some will fight it tooth & nail. Others will comment they have no problem using other national codes. You can't know who's code they use if it's not stated and nobody knows all the world codes.

James

I though the US was migrating to the IBC ( International Building Code) I heard rumblings that California was adopting the IBC Seismic Standard

Good. I hope we move toward standardization across the board over the next 20 years.

James

Unfortunately there is not going to be a World Electrical Standard any time soon. Sorry about that, hastingselectric.

At present these things vary widely, between countries:

1. Transmission line voltages/Conductor spacings/conductor sizes
2. Transmission type (France once had 4-phase reticulation in certain areas)
3. Mains frequency
4. AC or DC Transmission system
5. If DC then Earthed Return or Isolated from Earth
6. If AC then M.E.N (Multiple Earthed Neutral) or isolated from Earth
7. Transformer standard voltages
8. Mains Voltages
9. Transformer vectors DY11, DY32 etc. (important to standardise, to prevent circulating currents)
10. Plugs and Sockets (A real mess here)
11. Lamp connections (Another real mess here)
12. And so many more...........

It is not possible to alter the frequency of AC for a Country, all alternators, transformers, EHT switchgear, Motors, speed controls etc. have to be altered, all at the same time on the same day.

Likewise if you think about it, it is costly to alter every plug and socket in a Country.

Here in New Zealand a few years ago, we have adopted an Australian Standard, for our Electrical Wiring Regulations (Helped, no doubt, that because New Zealand is under the "Commonwealth of Australia Enabling Act" listed as a State of Australia - little is publicly said about that)

Some 40+ years ago, I was a member of a NZ Professional Institute, and personally endeavoured to have a common Australia/New Zealand set of Electrical Wiring Regulations.

It took some 38 years to accomplish that small thing, and Australia and New Zealand have much more in common than most Countries, despite being physically 1200+ miles apart.

The reason for different mains frequency was simple: In the early days UK manufacturers decided on 50Hz as the generation frequency, all equipment supplied to that market became a UK supply, likewise the US, not to be outdone, decided on 60Hz, and all their equipment was incompatible with the UK supplied equipment. Thus both Countries maintained de-facto sole supply to the Countries they got to first, and installed their own electrical equipment widely.

In practice the 60 Hz system is much more efficient, as all magnetic cores are smaller, and I did often wish that we had 60 Hz supply here, because of that factor.

As stated, costs for changing are truly prohibitive, and in practice I see no need for any World Electrical Standard, and methinks none shall ever actually be written, let alone used.....

Sparkstation noted, "As stated, costs for changing are truly prohibitive, and in practice I see no need for any World Electrical Standard, and methinks none shall ever actually be written, let alone used....." . I would agree as far as installations are concerned, but there is definitely action on the international level to develop common equipment standards. IEC and ISO have published thousands of such stanadards with most countries adopting them, albeit with some deviations. In North America, CANEENA is working to harmonize Canada, US and Mexican standards, with the IEC standards as the base or guiding set of standards. My field is electrical equipment for use in hazardous areas, and I can attest to the fact that in North America, we're headed towards a set of IEC harmonized standards.