Hydro-Stream Engine [RE-wrenches]

[Steve Willey, Backwoods Solar]

Corrosion (electroplating) happens much faster with single direction DC than
with AC. Therefore a DC aluminum feedwire with a pinhole puncture in
insulation will develop a spot that turns to a pile of white powder a lot
faster than one carrying AC which reverses the [plating action aw much as it
goes forward. Of course both will fail eventually.

Steve Willey   www.backwoodssolar.com
Backwoods Solar Electric Systems
----- Original Message -----
From: Bob-O Schultze, Electron Connection <econnect at snowcrest.net>
To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Sent: Friday, May 05, 2000 7:57 AM
Subject: Re: Hydro-Stream Engine [RE-wrenches]


> "Quite a few"??? I rather doubt that unless it was poorly done. In
> that case, CU would suffer the same fate eventually.
> There's no argument that copper wire is far superior to aluminium.
> The point here is the HUGE cost difference, not the fine points of
> the trade. Certainly AL requires some extra care with  regard to
> oxidation, especially at the fittings.
> Two things:
> 1) there have been advances in the making of AL wire in the past five
> years. Both in the way they construct and twist the strands and in
> the insulation.
> 2) There are MILLIONS of homes and businesses today with 4/0-4/0-2/0
> URD (and larger) as their power feed in wires. It is the wire of
> choice for that application. You can't argue with those numbers. The
> ac vs DC thing doesn't really apply.
> Good Luck, Bob-O
>
>
>
> >I have also replaced quite a few buried runs of aluminum.... IMO it
> >should not be buried. Overhead
> >would probably be fine though.
> >
> >Todd Cory
> >
> >"Steve Willey, Backwoods Solar" wrote:
> >
> > > I hate to disagree with Bob-O, but I would not use aluminum
underground to
> > > carry DC.  We have had some where one conductor disappears after
> >only 2 or 3
> > > years.  Pinhole punctures would be required to do that, but it
happens. It
> > > may be worth extra to go copper (smaller gauge) or to put it in
conduit.
> > >
> >
>
> Bob-O Schultze, Electron Connection
> PO Box 203, Hornbrook, CA 96044
> 800.945.7587 fax 530-475-3401
> www.electronconnection.com
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