European Voltage??

ShawnK said:
...Electricity from Europe?? Specifically Italy.
FROM Europe? I hope it's not TO Canada. The voltage drop would be tremendous!... :ROFLMAO:

As Dan said, what are your questions? I'm sure there are plenty here that can help.

🍻

-Eric
 
For the most part all of Europe has standardized on 400 VAC 3 ph. 50 Hz. 220 VAC single phase, 50 Hz. I think the UK is still holding on to 415 VAC 3ph 50 hz and 220 vac single phase. Be careful on the 3 phase as it generally has a 5 wire system, U V W for the line wires + Neutral + ground. They also maintain isolation between the neutral and ground (unlike the US) and in most cases if you tie neutral to ground inside a machine it will trip their GFI which they use on most all ciruit protection. In industrial enviorments they will get the 220 single phase between one of the lines and neutral.
 
Now that is good to know...

Maswork said:
For the most part all of Europe has standardized on 400 VAC 3 ph. 50 Hz. 220 VAC single phase, 50 Hz. I think the UK is still holding on to 415 VAC 3ph 50 hz and 220 vac single phase. Be careful on the 3 phase as it generally has a 5 wire system, U V W for the line wires + Neutral + ground. They also maintain isolation between the neutral and ground (unlike the US) and in most cases if you tie neutral to ground inside a machine it will trip their GFI which they use on most all ciruit protection. In industrial enviorments they will get the 220 single phase between one of the lines and neutral.
That is good info... I had no idea... thanks....
 
When you come to design electrical system for Europe be awar for few think.
Voltage 380V-440V depend where
Frequency 50Hz
Power come with 5 cords L1 L2 L3 N PE.
the color is also different then what you use over there.
You are not allowed to use the machine ground as Neutral.
Also most of Europeans machine need safety relays to meet the CE.(depend on risk assessment)
If you have frequency drive servo you will have to refer to CE rules about RFI noises.(filters screen cabels ect)
 
and Italy calles it 'tension' when a wire is carrying current. Italy usually uses 380VAC 50 Hz for their 3 phase on machines. I used to work for an Italian company that shipped x-ray machines to the US where we would retrofit them by changing the motors to 60Hz & replacing the transformers with US compatable voltages before sending them to the customers.
 
Maswork said:
For the most part all of Europe has standardized on 400 VAC 3 ph. 50 Hz. 220 VAC single phase, 50 Hz. I think the UK is still holding on to 415 VAC 3ph 50 hz and 220 vac single phase. Be careful on the 3 phase as it generally has a 5 wire system, U V W for the line wires + Neutral + ground. They also maintain isolation between the neutral and ground (unlike the US) and in most cases if you tie neutral to ground inside a machine it will trip their GFI which they use on most all ciruit protection. In industrial enviorments they will get the 220 single phase between one of the lines and neutral.

In the UK most sites i have worked on have the Neutral tied to earth on the secondary side of the incoming supply transformer.
 
The voltage in Europe has been standardised (in theory) as 400V +/- 5% i.e. 380-420. 50hz. The neutral and earthing are differeent in different countries and can also be different in different installations in the same country so you need to know specifically the power distribution system you are going to be using. If you are making electrical equipment for export to europe then you need to be aware of the CE marking requirements. For contol panels this means meeting the requirements of the Low Voltage Directive, the EMC directive and the Machinery directive. This is a very complex procedure and if you get it wrong you can find your product being refused entry, or in worst cases confiscated and destroyed. There is a lot of good information about CE marking, but the learning curve is long and very steep.

Here is a pamphlet about the new European harmonized cable colours.
 
I've built four control panels for a facility we own in northern Italy and been there for the start up.

It looks like the basics have been covered already.

In the USA you can spec the ampacity that a machine supply requires and spec the motor horsepower (or wattage in Europe) on your drawings and expect that your journeyman electrician will select the appropriate wire. I found that to not be the case, at least where we had the equipment installed. When I arrived on site to supervise the installation I quickly discovered that their electricians, though union, would not select the wires, infact, they had no clue as to what was needed. Fortunately, I had access to the local codes, so I was able to add the spec. Every field wire on my drawings had to have a size spec added. The electricains I worked with were skilled at performing the mechanical aspects of the installation and hookup, but they really knew very little about electricity. That was my experience for that part of Italy, I don't know if that is generally the case or not. But assume that whoever installs the equipment may need to have even the little details on spec.
 

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