House Fitted with a Ring Main.
From Object Wiki
| Perspex model of a house fitted with a ring main | |
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| Manufacturer | The Science Museum |
| Production years | 1957 |
| Production location | London |
Perspex model of a house fitted with a ring main.
The British system for plugs and sockets started before World War II at a time when there was a shortage of copper for cables. The ring main system was devised to reduce the amount of copper needed in cables inside each house or office.
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[edit] How it works
In electricity supply, a ring final circuit or ring circuit (informally also ring main or just ring) is an electrical wiring technique developed and primarily used in the United Kingdom that provides two independent conductors for live, neutral and protective earth within a building for each connected load or socket.
This design enables the use of smaller-diameter wire than would be used in a radial circuit of equivalent total amperage. Ideally, the ring acts like two radial circuits proceeding in opposite directions around the ring, the dividing point between them dependent on the distribution of load in the ring. If the load is evenly split across the two directions the amperage in each direction is half of the total, allowing the use of wire with half the current-carrying capacity. In practice, the load does not always split evenly, so thicker wire is used.
[edit] Memories
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Do you remember the introduction of ring mains? Add your memories. |
[edit] In the Science Museum
Source: Science Museum Workshops. Inv: No: 1957-238/1
This object is currently on display in the Dan Dare & the Birth of Hi-Tech Britain exhibition at the Science Museum, London.[edit] Gallery
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