Editing 2642: Meta-Alternating Current
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | This | + | {{incomplete|Created by a CHAIN OF INVERTERS - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} |
+ | This comic replaced [[No One Was Hurt]] as comic 2642 after the former was taken down from [[xkcd]]'s website. | ||
− | {{w| | + | In electronics, {{w|direct current}} is a constant flow of electrons from a power source to something being powered, before doubling back along the circuit. It is commonly used for battery-powered appliances. {{w|Alternating current}}, on the other hand, frequently reverses the flow of electrons, and is commonly used for longer-distance use (such as from the power plant to an outlet). |
− | This comic proposes a humorous ''Meta-Alternating Current'', which uses a series of adapters to "alternate" between DC and AC current | + | This comic proposes a humorous interspersion, ''Meta-Alternating Current'', which uses a series of adapters to "alternate" between DC and AC current. This is funny because since typical {{w|power inverter}} efficiency is 90%, and maximum {{w|bridge rectifier}} efficiency is 81.2%, an {{w|extension cord}} made of them would lose about 27% power per such pair. The "extension cord" shown would yield about 11% of its input power. |
− | The title text bemoans that an inverter, which converts direct current to alternating current, does not work in the other direction, as a layman's interpretation of the word "inverter" might | + | The title text bemoans that an inverter, which converts direct current to alternating current, does not work in the other direction, as a layman's interpretation of the word "inverter" might appear. Rather, a separate device, a {{w|rectifier}}, also pictured in the comic, must be used for this second conversion. |
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+ | Common understanding of "inverting" would be to turn upside-down, or reverse the input polarity in the output (something that would be easily done at near-zero inefficiency by just 'crossing' (without connecting between) the wires coupling the inputs and outputs.) Two such cross-overs would indeed restore the original electrical supply. In the conversion from DC to AC it is instead an active circuit that ''periodically'' inverts, and then uninverts, the effective polarity – with a specific frequency, and usually a voltage conversion, to conform to some AC need such as using a car battery to power a standard household device designed and built for use on a mains supply. A rectifier is a nominally passive circuit that accepts either polarity (e.g. at any given moment of an AC phase) and produces a single definite polarity as output, possibly smoothed out by a buffering capacitance or with additional components to attain a given voltage and amperage. | ||
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+ | It may in fact be the case that a campsite use of a rectifying device intended for home use (e.g. a standard phone charger that down-converts household AC to a given DC) requires it to be plugged into an inverter itself powered from a battery system (DC to AC), more inefficiently than a single converter (with the correct voltage/amperage re-regulation) might accomplish the task. Further chaining this into more inverters/rectifiers would normally not be considered. | ||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
− | + | {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} | |
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− | + | Cursed connectors #120 | |
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− | + | Drawing of a chain of rectifiers and inverters. | |
− | + | There are seven pairs of rectifier/inverter. | |
+ | The chain starts on the left by a mains plug (type B), followed by the first rectifier. It ends with the last inverter, and a female mains plug (type B socket). | ||
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+ | Meta-alternating current extension cord | ||
+ | (alternates between AC and DC) | ||
{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
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[[Category:Cursed Connectors]] | [[Category:Cursed Connectors]] |