balanced power


Hi, could anyone explain to me in short what balanced power means? This is a term that is applied to isolation transformers. I'm using isolation transformers too (I live btw in The Netherlands) but I'm not using ground. Is that what "balanced" means: using a ground? What are the benefits and drawback of balanced power? Thank you in advance.

Chris
dazzdax
It has everything to do with AC power. The voltage does not matter.

I cannot speak for your country, but in the USA the two poles on the AC electric plug will be either 120V or Zero. Balanced power as I stated before is 60 & 60 180 degrees out of phase; or to put it another way +60 and -60 volts, the difference between the poles is the same 120V which feeds your gear. The noise is canceled out because the 2 poles are exactly 180 degrees out of phase with each other.

So the power in your wall (if it is unbalanced) is 240V and Zero between the 2 poles. Balanced would in essence be +120 and -120 between the 2 poles. Still 240 Volts.

A step-up or step-down balanced devise is just regenerating balanced power at whatever the output voltage is.
Folks - That was really helpful. I've wondered myself what "balanced power" meant. Now I at least have a clue.
Thanks. Chris - good question!
In the schemes I've seen at the Equi=tech website I encounter one stable element and that is: ground. So for a proper balanced power a ground is necessary. What to do without a ground? Then balanced power (and common mode rejection) is not possible? I don't understand it completely. It is also confusing when you read that the Wavac isolation transformer (made by Denken Seiki of Japan) doesn't need ground to achieve full "common mode rejection". How could this be possible? Once more: it is confusing!

Chris