The difference and application of three-phase and single-phase generators

1. What is the phase?
In electricity, the phase is usually the voltage or current in a wire or neutral cable. Phase refers to the distribution of the load. For example, in one wire, the additional load passes through this wire; however, if two wires are used, the load is split between them. Therefore, a 1-phase or single-phase system has two wires, while a 3-phase system has 4 wires.

2. Overview of Single-Phase and Three-Phase AC Systems
In the previous section, we explained the meaning of electrical phases and the meaning of single-phase and three-phase. Now, let's understand single-phase and three-phase AC systems and better understand their benefits and applications after you gain more knowledge about each, we will discuss the difference between single-phase and three-phase generators.
The current in AC power is a type of electricity that changes direction frequently. The power supply system is divided into two different types: single-phase power and three-phase power. Both of these generators use AC power to refer to the unit. But the reliability of delivery is the main difference between them.

3. Single-phase power supply
In this section, we will explain single-phase power supply and its advantages and applications to help us further understand the difference between single-phase and three-phase generators.

Single-phase power supply in the field of electricity refers to the use of a system that changes the power supply voltage at the same time to provide alternating current. Single-phase power is used when loads (home appliances in the case of single-phase power) are heated and illuminated with their motors. Sometimes, when the AC motor power supply has no energy to produce a rotating magnetic field, their motors require additional circuits to work, but these motors rarely exceed a rated power of 10kW. The voltage of a single-phase system reaches its peak twice, and the direct power supply is unstable.
The connection between the two phases or the connection between one phase and the neutral line enables single-phase loads to be powered by a three-phase shared transformer. They provide different voltages from the power supply.
Single-phase power supplies are often used in small home appliances such as fans, air conditioners, and heaters because they provide voltages up to 230V.

3.1 Advantages and applications of single-phase 
There are many benefits to choosing single-phase. Some of them may be the same as three-phase , but some are different. Later, when we talk about the difference between single-phase and three-phase generators, we will also explain these differences.
One of the benefits of using single-phase is that it is less expensive and simpler in design. If you want to have AC power up to 1000 watts, single-phase is your best choice. Moreover, they are suitable for a wide range of application uses.

Single-phase has a wide range of applications. For example, it is suitable for running motors up to 5hp, and they can be used to provide ample power for non-industrial businesses and household appliances.

4. Three-phase supply

So, what about three-phase ? If you want to compare them with single-phase and understand the difference between single-phase and three-phase generators, three-phase power consists of four wires. Usually one is neutral and the rest are conductors. This type of power is used as a single-phase AC power source. Single-phase AC power as well as the neutral line for small loads can be selected from the three-phase AC power system. Three-phase power provides constant power, and its power can be used in two configurations: star connection or delta connection. Moreover, its connection is suitable for long-distance communication due to the error current of the neutral line.

4.1 Benefits and Applications of Three-phase Power

There are many benefits to choosing three-phase power, such as labor handling costs, reduced copper utilization, facilities running high power loads, reduced safety risks for employees, not to mention the higher efficiency of conductors!

Three-phase power is used in data centers, power grids, mobile towers, aircraft, ships, and other electronic loads greater than 1000 watts. You can use three-phase power in high-density and power-hungry data centers. They are suitable for large-scale corporate, industrial, and manufacturing purposes.

5. Difference between three-phase and single-phase generators, which one should we use?
Three-phase generators are often used in commercial or industrial settings to run high loads, but single-phase generators are mainly used for residential purposes because home appliances require less power.
Another difference between single-phase and three-phase generators lies in their definition and design! As we have already mentioned, single-phase power passes through one conductor, while in three-phase power, the power flows through three conductors. While single-phase requires one wire to connect the circuit, this number is 3 for three-phase power.
The third difference we have to mention here is that the voltage of single-phase is 230V, while the voltage of three-phase is 380V.
Another difference between single-phase and three-phase generators is that three-phase power contains three different wave cycles, while in single-phase, there is only one different wave cycle.
A very small but interesting difference between these two is that in single phase, the phase name is split phase. However, three phase has no special name.

There is also a difference between the cost of these two. While single phase power is cheap, three phase power is expensive. But remember, each of them has its uses, so you can’t just stay with the expensive option if your system requires it.

Remember that the advantage of three phase is that it is very efficient, while in single phase which is inefficient, you see exactly the opposite.

Another important difference between them is that three phase has the least losses, but in single phase, the losses are the most. And single phase also has power failures!