RE: Frequency Sensitive Lamps 50Hz or 60Hz? | Baldwin Technology Company (2024)

The electrical power supplied to the countries of the world is typically 50Hz or 60Hz. The electric power frequency is shown in the number of hertz (cycles per second). This means that the flow of the electrons switch or reverse polarity 50 or 60 times per second. The United States for example is 60Hz. Other parts of the world are 50Hz. This is to say that when we sell a lamp for the U.S. market, we assume that the power supply that drives this lamp will be 60Hz. By the same token, when we sell a lamp to a country with 50Hz power, we assume that it will be operated on a 50Hz source. Here is a great website that you can refer to on this subject.

http://electricaloutlet.org/

Medium pressure mercury vapor and metal halide lamps have a few quirks and one of them is that they can be, depending on the arc length, frequency sensitive.

FOR EXAMPLE - - -
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LAMPS RUNNING AT 60HZ
Lamps with arc lengths from 900mm to 1120mm and 1800mm to 2240mmcan have plasmas that wiggle and become unstable. We will need to know at time of order which frequency they are operating at. Metal halide lamps operating at 60Hz, can not be produced within these arc lengths.
==================================================================
LAMPS RUNNING AT 50HZ
Lamps with arc length from 1170mm to 1420mm and 2340mm to 2840mmcan have plasmas that wiggle and become unstable. We will need to know at time of order which frequency they are operating at. Metal halide lamps operating at 50Hz, can not be produced within these arc lengths.

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The condition with the plasma arc wiggling or snaking is commonly referred to as acoustic arc resonance.

RE: Frequency Sensitive Lamps 50Hz or 60Hz? | Baldwin Technology Company (2024)

FAQs

What happens if I use 50Hz equipment with 60Hz supplies? ›

A 50 Hz fan motor will rotate 20% faster RPM at 60 Hz, therefore will the fan blades to increase the torque by 40% while the inductance in the induction motor windings increases, the motor becomes overloaded if not the voltage to the motor is increased correspondingly.

What does 50Hz mean on a light bulb? ›

The electrical power supplied to the countries of the world is typically 50Hz or 60Hz. The electric power frequency is shown in the number of hertz (cycles per second). This means that the flow of the electrons switch or reverse polarity 50 or 60 times per second.

What is the difference between 50Hz and 60Hz lights? ›

Why is 60Hz frequency used in America instead of the 50Hz used in most of the world? The use of 50 versus 60 Hz is purely due to historical reasons, with companies in the US making 60 Hz equipment and those in Europe making 50Hz equipment so that they have a monopoly. This rivalry led to the split you see today.

Is 50 hertz better than 60 hertz? ›

The difference in frequency has implications for the design and operation of electrical equipment. 60Hz systems tend to be more efficient for longer distance transmission and are better suited for high-power applications, while 50Hz systems are more suited for low-power, local distribution.

Can you convert 60Hz to 50Hz? ›

To change the output frequency to 50Hz from a 60hz frequency source, you can either use a frequency inverter or a 60hz to 50hz frequency converter. Frequency converter 60 hz to 50 hz is a power conversion device running at mains power (60Hz / 50Hz).

Which is safer 50Hz or 60Hz? ›

Which is dangerous, 220v/50Hz or 120v/60Hz? Both are quite dangerous and both can easily kill you. The 220 would be more so, because the greater potential can cause more current to flow through a conductor, like your body. If your question is regarding the frequency, that doesn't matter.

Is 50Hz vs 60Hz noticeable? ›

A2A: The frame duration for 60Hz is 3.3 milliseconds shorter than with 50Hz. You can't “see” a time interval. Some serious gamers think they have such good reflexes that that 3.3ms difference in delay to see a new frame can make a difference in their success rate in gameplay.

Do LED lights flicker at 50Hz? ›

This factor has made the 50Hz frequency very popular. So you might be wondering how household electrical frequency affects a video? We will get down to this and help you understand this better. You may not notice the flickering of LED lights at 50hz with your own eyes, but in actual sense, it is still there.

What does 50Hz to 60Hz mean? ›

50Hz (60Hz) means the rotor of the motor generator turns 50 (60) cycles per second, the current changes 50 (60) times per second back and forth, direction changes 100 (120) times. That means the Volt changes from positive to negative, and from negative to positive voltage, this process converts 50 (60) times/second.

What does 60 Hz do to the brain? ›

Time-frequency domain analysis of the EEG data revealed that 60 Hz DBS was associated with an increase in preparatory theta power over a midfrontal region of interest compared with the off-DBS state which is generally regarded as a marker of increased cognitive control.

Should I set my TV to 50Hz or 60Hz? ›

Which is better, 1080p 50Hz or 60Hz? - Quora. There is no noticeable difference between the two for most types of videos we watch and it depends on the country's TV standard which rate is available however 60Hz does have a slight advantage over 50Hz when showing very fast motion such as a baseball in the air.

What does 50Hz mean in electricity? ›

50Hz specifies that the frequency of Alternating current. Here. 50 HZ means 50 cycles per second. or in other words we can say that Alternating current changes is direction 100 times.

What happens if you use a 50Hz appliance on 60Hz? ›

It depends upon the nature of the appliance but generally speaking if the voltage is too high it draws too much current and burns out, if the voltage is too low it draws too little current and/or does not perform to its rating.

What is the reason behind choosing 50 60 Hz and not above? ›

If the frequency is too low, incandescent lighting might visibly flicker. If the frequency is too high, motors may be unacceptably high impedance loads. Near 50/60 Hz seems fine for both. The reasons for choosing the various power line frequencies are mainly dictated from transmission efficiency.

What countries use 50Hz power? ›

However, most countries use 50Hz, such as Australia, China, and Germany. *Note that the number of wires and plugs shown in the chart are only a general reference, as these may change over time from country to country.

Is it OK to run a 50Hz motor on 60Hz? ›

It will run with following problems for a 50Hz motor running on 60Hz: The core loss will increase and cause over heating of core. As the core loss will increase, the Power Factor of motor will reduce. The motor speed will be higher, so shaft load will increase.

What will happen if the 50 Hz transformer is connected with 60Hz power supply? ›

Flux will reduce to (50/60) of the 50 Hz value. Iron loss will be reduced (reduction due less flux will be slightly more than increase in loss due to increase in frequency). Reactances will be increased. Regulation will be more.

Can I run a 50Hz motor on 60Hz by using a VFD? ›

RE: Operating 50 Hz motor on 60 Hz using VFD

The motor torque will drop away above base speed unless you maintain the V/Hz ratio at 60Hz, i.e. a 400V 50Hz motor will require 480V at 60Hz to maintain output torque at nominal value.

Can 60Hz AC run on 50Hz? ›

You can run something designed for 60hz on 50hz but not the other way around. Sell your air conditioner and buy a new one when you arrive. You save the shipping costs (also shipping refrigerant may be problematic as it's hazardous) and get a new more efficient air conditioner.

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