Key Difference – Power Source vs Power Supply
电源定义为energyconsumed or supplied within a given period. Since energy cannot be created as per the theory ofconservation of energy, it should be transformed into a consumable form from an available source in order to make use of energy.Electricityis one form of the most commonly used energy forms. For electricity to be used, it should be provided or supplied to an appliance from a power supply as in the television set which is plugged into the main electricity line through a插座. But, neither the socket nor the main line produces electricity; electricity is transferred to the socket from an external energy source. As such, the key difference between power source and power supply can be identified as:the power supply is used to provide power to a device,whereaspower source is the source from which the power is produced.
CONTENTS
1.Overview and Key Difference
2.What is a Power Source
3.What is a Power Supply
4.Side by Side Comparison – Power Source vs Power Supply
5.概括
What is a Power Source?
A power source is a place where power is originated. As energy cannot be created, there is no source for all the energy in the universe, but we can identify the parent source in another form of energy. For instance, the power source of the earth can be recognized as the sun. Likewise, the source from which the electricity is produced is the power source of electricity.
Electricity is produced from different sources. Globally, the major sources of electricity production are coal, natural gas, hydropower, and nuclear energy. In addition, sources such ashydrocarbonfuel, solar energy, tidal waves,biomassfuel, wind, and geothermal energy are also used for production. Availability of the sources, cost per unit production, infrastructure, etc., are taken into account when choosing the sources for the mass production of electricity. Furthermore, chemical compounds are used as the source in batteries such as Li-ion batteries, Ni-Cd batteries, vehicle batteries, etc.
Some sources likenuclear and coal用于产生沸腾的热量以产生运行的蒸汽汽轮机。The turbine is used with a generator which converts thekinetic energyinto electricity. In all of the cases above, except in solar energy, a generator is employed to produce electricity.Solar electricity, which is produced byphotovoltaicpanels, is the only method that does not involve a mechanical energy transformation.
What is a Power Supply?
A power supply is a device or a method that provides electricity to a device. It does not produce electricity, but it receives electricity from an existing power line or ageneratorand supply controlled or uncontrolled electricity to the device. A common electric socket connected to the power lines can be considered as a simple power supply to a domestic appliance. A variety of forms of power supplies are commonly used in everyday use.
AC powersupply is one type of power supply that is used to convert voltages. They are used in electric appliances so that they can be used with different supply voltages in different countries. DC power supply is another type of power supply which receives input from the AC mains to output DC voltages to electronic devices. DC power supplies also are used inside home electronic appliances. AC and DC power supplies with diverse parameters are widely used in electrical and electronic testing laboratories.
Power supplies are categorized into another two types: voltage sources and current sources. The voltage source is a power supply that supplies power in a constantvoltage, independent of thecurrentdrawn by the load. All of the above-mentioned examples can be considered as voltage sources since the supplied voltage is always constant. For example, the supply voltage for the socket outlet is always the same 230V. On the other hand, current sources supply a constant current to a device independent from the voltage between the two terminals. One example of a current source is the power supply in electric arc welding. The voltage of the electric arc changes with the length of the arc, but in order to have a uniform welding on the surface, the current is kept constant by the supply. Some other types of power supplies used are switch-mode power supply, programmable power supply, anduninterruptable power supply. They may include a voltage regulator, frequency converter, batteries, switches, etc. for their function of controlling voltage output in a desirable manner.
What is the difference between Power Source and Power Supply?
Power Source vs Power Supply |
|
Power source contains energy to produce another form of energy. For example, the kinetic energy of flowing water is used as the source to produce electricity. | Power supply is used to provide power to electrical devices. It may convert and control the input electricity to change properties of output electricity. |
Production of Power | |
Power sources are used for an energy transformation. | There is no energy transformation inside a power supply. |
Form | |
This is a naturally originated source. | This is a man-made device. |
概括– Power Source vs Power Supply
有一些能源不能直接用于日常任务。但是,这些能量形式可以通过不同的方式转化为可用形式。可转换能源包含能源或功率来源,这些能源经历了不同的流程以产生可消耗的功率。相反,电源被进一步用于为设备提供电力,并采用电力源产生的电力。这是电源和电源之间的主要区别。电源具有各种功能,促进了连接的电气和电子设备的要求。
Reference:
1. “Power supply.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 25 May 2017. Web. 26 May 2017.
Image Courtesy:
1. “World Electricity Generation Pie Chart” By Delphi234 – Own work (CC0) viaCommons Wikimedia
2. “ACtoDCpowersupply” By JaunJimenez at English Wikipedia(CC BY 3.0)viaCommons Wikimedia
Syed Alisays
Hi Kasun, it was good to read your above article. I’m not well acquainted with the electrical engineering but I do have a curious mind that poises questions that I can not answer myself. Like, we all uses computers and nowadays some computers or computer devices requires 220v instead of 110v (in Canada) and yet we have to use PSUs (Power Supply Unit) for them. Some of the individual components within such computers are separately powered from the same PSU with identical connectors. Something that you might call “Parallel”. Now my question is, how can I convert that Parallel connectivity into a series. Like home electrical wiring with multiple outlets on single (+ve & -ve) wire. I know there are multiple power lines running together in computer viz: 12V, 5V, 3.3V etc. but that is like four 110V wires running through one pipe connecting to their respective outlets in series individually. So suppose, there is device A and device B. Both requiring 220W. Instead of giving them parallel connectivity, if I connect them in series then what can happen? They have put separate sockets on the PSU for some reason but if I improvise either by ignoring the other socket and connect both A & B in series or I combine two sockets to one run line from the united source to both A&B in series.
I know it my sound quite childish to you with such a high level of education in this field but your help is highly appreciated with the warmest regards.