From: gtaylor@tnetconsulting.net   
      
   On 10/3/19 9:03 PM, gfretwell@aol.com wrote:   
   > This could go on forever but generally single phase is one sine wave,   
   > typically originating from two ungrounded conductors.   
      
   Okay.  So the single phase is carried by two conductors.   
      
   3ɸ ∆ wiring has each phase (sine wave) carried by two corners of the ∆   
   triangle.  Correct?   
      
   This seems to support my supposition that the individual conductors /   
   wired / lines are not the phase by themselves.   
      
   > The fist fight starts when you start arguing about whether you   
   > call those 2 ungrounded conductors two phases   
      
   I would think that if you're talking about only those two conductors   
   without any reference to anything else, then that this is a single   
   phase, or sine wave, carried by / between those two conductors.  One as   
   a supply and one as a return.  (If I can loosely use those terms for AC.)   
      
   > that gets more complicated for some people when you ground the center   
   > tap of the transformer but it is still only one phase.   
      
   My limited understanding agrees.  The typical home in the U.S. (I don't   
   know about elsewhere in the world) is feed by a single phase to a   
   transformer with a center tap that is grounded, and each of side in   
   relation to the center tap is what I believe is called a "leg".   
      
   > A lot of strange language has come up around how you explain this to   
   > homeowners ("split Phase", really a type of motor winding. Two phases   
   > 180 out ... but isn't 180 degrees a straight line? The list goes on)   
   > It is single phase, get over it.   
      
   I've come to know that as single phase / dual leg.   
      
   > The other common implementation is 3 phase where you have 3 separate   
   > phases displaced by 120 degrees. That one usually gets by with little   
   > confusion unless you ground one corner of a delta.   
      
   Agreed.   
      
   > There is also 2 phase but it is pretty rare and most people have   
   > never seen it. This is typically a 5 wire service and looks like a   
   > cross or plus sign with the phases being displaced by 90 degrees.   
      
   Hum.  I'm curious, but I'm likely to ignore that for a few minutes.   
   Though it does support /not/ calling single phase / dual leg a 2ɸ circuit.   
      
   I'm sure I'll look it up at some point.   
      
   > A 3 wire implementation would be 3 wire looking like an ell. That is   
   > still a 90 degree displacement tho.   
      
   I think you're talking about A / N / B in the following crude diagram.   
      
       A   
       |   
   b--N--B   
       |   
       a   
      
   I'm speculating that the center point would be neutral, like a 3ɸ Y.   
      
   > In the electronic world I suppose there are things with more phases   
   > but that is not anything utilities usually do.   
      
   Agreed.   
      
   Thank you.   
      
      
      
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