FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Question on inseat power on aircraft- for electrical engineers.
Old Jan 25, 2012 | 8:30 am
  #8  
Yaatri
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Join Date: Jan 2002
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Originally Posted by gfunkdave
Well, yeah, I suppose that's one way to look at it - joules per second (which I think is charge after some conversion). But it is mostly due to current and resistance heating.

P = I^2 R --> the power in a circuit is proportional to the square of the current in amps.
You do seem a bit rusty. Joules per sec=watts. Certain amount of charge is needed to effect a certain amount of damage. Low breakdown voltage also means a low capacity, if one thought of the body as a leaky capacitor.
q=CV

Originally Posted by gfunkdave
I think the main thought behind providing 110v power was passenger convenience - just use your regular adapter; no special airline adapter required.
That's what I was leading on to. The reasoning that 12V dc is provided to eliminate the need for ac/dc conversion is specious. These days, almost every gadget can be charged from an ac source by a universal power supply (110-240V 50/60 Hz). Providing 110V ac can meet every need, while 12 targets only a portion of the need.

I too am not an electrical engineer. If the airline will provide only 12 dc, is there a reason I cannot use an inverter to get 110 V ac > Inverters are generally used with batteries. I can't think of an instance where one would use an inverter with a dc power sourse which is not a battery!

Last edited by Yaatri; Jan 25, 2012 at 3:06 pm
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