Low Voltage

In electrical engineering, low voltage is a relative term, the definition varying

by context. Different definitions are used in electric power transmission and
distribution, and electrical safety codes define "low voltage" circuits that are
exempt from the protection required at higher voltages. These definitions
vary by country and specific codes or regulations.
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) defines supply system
low voltage as voltage in the range 50 to 1000 V ac or 120 to 1500 V dc in IEC
Standard Voltages which defines power distribution system voltages around
the world.

In electrical power systems low voltage most commonly refers to the mains
voltages as used by domestic and light industrial and commercial consumers.
"Low voltage" in this context still presents a risk of electric shock, but only a
minor risk of electric arcs through the air.
Medium and small industrial consumers can also be satisfactorily supplied at
low-voltage.
For loads which exceed the maximum permitted limit for a service from a
distributor, a dedicated cable can usually be provided from the LV distribution
fuse- (or switch-) board, in the power utility substation.
Generaly, the upper load limit which can be supplied by this means is
restricted only by the available spare transformer capacity in the substation.
In practice, however:
• Large loads (e.g. > 300 kVA) require correspondingly large cables, so that,
unless the load centre is close to the substation, this method can be
economically unfavourable
• Many utilities prefer to supply loads exceeding 200 kVA (this figure varies
with different suppliers) at medium voltage.
For these reasons, dedicated supply lines at Low Voltage are generally
applied (at 220/380 V to 240/415 V) to a load range of 80 kVA to 250 kVA.

Consumers normally supplied at low voltage include:

• Residential dwellings
• Shops and commercial buildings
• Small factories, workshops and filling stations
• Restaurants
• Farms, etc
 Ripple Voltage
Ripple voltage means the amount of AC voltage that appears on a DC voltage.
The main reason for the ripple voltage is that the converter converts the AC
voltage into a DC voltage, but the AC voltage cannot completely eliminate.
Ripple is due to incomplete suppression of the alternating waveform after
rectification. Ripple voltage originates as the output of a rectifier or from
generation and commutation of DC power.
Ripple (specifically ripple current or surge current) may also refer to the pulsed
current consumption of non-linear devices like capacitor-input rectifiers.
The characteristics and components of ripple depend on its source: there is
single-phase half- and full-wave rectification, and three-phase half- and full-
wave rectification. Rectification can be controlled (uses Silicon Controlled
Rectifiers (SCRs)) or uncontrolled (uses diodes). There is in addition, active
rectification which uses transistors.
Output waveform with and without a smoothing capacitor