I really need one
I'm doing some testing on some 480V fixtures
Or is there an alternative to this?
For the power source I have this THE 480V POWER SOURCE

But all I need is the wire and plug

Any ordinary 120V or 240V plug will handle 480V in steady state (without plugging/unplugging under load). Switch off before plugging/unplugging. If you want, choose some plug which is not interchangeable with ordinary plugs

The proper industrial stuff is called IEC 60309 (it's a wide range of connectors for different voltages, phase configurations, etc, they are worldwide standard)

Do you mean these..?




Plenty on eBay (in the UK anyway) - search for IEC 60309, but don't try running 400V+ on a normal low voltage connector. Always make sure the connectors and cables you use is rated for the voltage you are using.

Yes Ria, thanks
And thanks for the voltage and wire advice

Voltages up to 1000V are called "low voltage" for a reason. The reason is, that the voltage is not sufficient for spontaneous breakdown of isolation of any reasonable thickness, this includes solid isolation (Plastics) and Air distances

Into a plug and receptacle design go few main considerations related to voltage :

 - Sufficient isolation to prevent isolation breakdown in steady state. As matter of fact, in all low voltage plugs for 120V/240V the distance between any 2 conductive parts is at least several millimeters. This is way over what's needed to withstand 480V

 - Sufficient distance between active contacts, so there won't be a flashover if the connector is plugged or unplugged under load. Here, the higher the voltage and current are, the more distance is required or the contact point must be enclosed in a sleeve. This is the main limit for the voltage rating of the plug

If the plug is never plugged or unplugged under load, then the second issue never arises

All I am saying is make certain any wiring or connectors you wish to use are rated for the voltage and current you wish to use them at. If your existing plugs and cable are rated to withstand 480V then fine, but CHECK FIRST.

Take risks with your own life if you wish, but I would suggest it's somewhat irresponsible to suggest others do the same.

You must have been lucky using ordinary wires rated for few 100's Volts in the HID display boards, on 3.5kV+ ignitor output, with no problems so far. Also, VS/Tridonic/etc. must have been lucky using a terminal block rated only about 500V as part of the ignitor itself

Yes, I should use better wiring, that has been pointed out already and I will be rewiring it as soon as I get some of the correct wire. As for the terminals on the ignitor, I trust that the manufacturer knows what they are doing. Vossloh Schwabe is a reputable company and I doubt they would fit terminal blocks not rated for the ignitor voltage. Unless you have evidence otherwise..?

If the plug is never plugged or unplugged under load, then the second issue never arises

You can never guarantee that will never happen, so it is best practice to use a plug that is correctly rated for the voltage, so you might have to spend a bit more to get the right plugs, but what's that against potentially killing yourself or someone else.? 

What i'm saying is, the voltage (and current, and other) ratings of components are all designed around a specific use case. When using the components in a different use case, the ratings don't necessarily hold

Example 1 :
Can you use 13A rated plug for 25A ? No, but if it will pass those 25A for short intervals with cooling periods inbetween, then yes

Example 2 :
Can you use 13A rated plug for 13A ? Yes, but if the ambient temperature at your location is nearing 80degC (the connection is in an enclosed metal box painted Black under the Sun), then no.... And besides, lets say the receptacle and plug are the good Phenolic stuff that handles 80degC well, but even without any current flowing in it at all, you would exceed the safe temperature for any ordinary PVC isolated wire which is only 70degC...



In the HID ignitor, the terminal is just the same ordinary terminal that you could buy in a strip of 12pcs. There is nothing special about it

Why they used it ?

Because it is clear that in this application, the isolation is sufficient, since they dont use the terminal for its intended application....

The terminal itself is meant (as one of it's intended applications) to be installed on Earthed metallic surfaces with a screw in the hole between the ports. This means, that its full rated voltage of up to 500V is applied across the bottom wall of each terminal port, and through the side wall of the port to the mounting screw. The creepage distances, which are normally where breakdown starts, are the shortest from the terminal port along the bottom wall and down to the surface, there are only a few millimeters there. (Which is, as the terminal rating suggests, sufficient for 500V)

The way it's used in the ignitor, it is cast in epoxy and nowhere near a metal surface. There is no screw between the ports but empty hole between fully enclosed Plastic structures. The creepage distances all the way from port to port is huge. And yep, in this application it can handle the 3.5kV ignition



And in our discussion, we are discussing a plug for a test setup, like what Photonic makes

Since it's a test setup, it's ultimately up to F96T12 what he does or does not in his test. After all, in a test setup you are supposed to know what you are doing, so that you don't poke a finger into a live connection or stare into a UVC lamp without a suitable filter. If he knows what not to do with a plug that's used above it's voltage ratings, and why (what are the physics involved), what is the problem ?



As for your demo boards Ria. You dont need to rewire them pretty much for the same reasons, because you know what you are doing when you are using them. It's not like it's a product you make available to the general public

Ash,

Personally I would use the correctly rated components for the particular job,

I agree that a 13A plug will handle 25A for short periods, but it wasn't designed to handle that loading no matter what application they're being used for. As I have stated before it's best practice to use the correctly rated components.

In safety testing they will take a component up to its failure point and that's usually one and a half or double its rating. If a 13A plug has a failure point of twice its rating, that's 26A. Which is far too close to 25A for my liking, and what if you get a spike in the current.?  

Also if you have components that will be operating in high temperatures I suggest that you buy suitable products for the application.

The plug as a whole was designed with some use in mind. It is ok to re evaluate it if your use conditions are different, both upwards and downwards. If your re evaluation for your use case is sensible, it is not less correct than the original ratings for the original use

"How about spike in the current ?"

The spike is of some current value I, and lasts a time t. The plug connections have resistance R. The heat that will be caused by the spike is therefore, I^2 * R * t. Divide this by the volume of the Copper part in the plug, and by the specific heat capacity of Copper, and that will be the temperature rise

For a quick spike (such as the starting of a motor), the time is too short for anything to heat up. This, in fact, happens all the time - The starting of an air conditioning unit can exceed 100A for a split second. Not only the plug, but even the fuse lets it pass

Even a short circuit event, with couple 1000's of Amps and time as short as half AC cycle, won't do anything to a 13A plug as long as the plug only passed the current through but the short circuit arc itself didn't happen in the plug



The high temperatures are example of where you might want to derate the components - subtract from their ratings to make up for the harder work conditions. The Phenolic plastic that some plugs are made of can handle high temperature, but within limits. The cable - indeed, if your ambient is 80deg you can't use an ordinary 70deg cable, it will start decaying even if you don't connect any power to it....

Ash I give up. You know more about safety than everyone else put together.

I'm stating facts that I know and trust having worked alongside people from Lloyds Register.

If you are using a component for something other than its stated use the correct procedure is to apply to the testing house for a variation, not go ahead and do it yourself.

Ash, this thread is going way off topic.

The original question was where can a specific type of plug be purchased..? This indicates to me that the OP has already decided what he wants. It's not down to you to tell him "oh you don't need to get one of those, this will do" - that's not your choice to make.

The question was answered very early on. Why are we still discussing it..?

You can probably get a similar plug at an electric supply, but don't forget that you might need to have your electricity service upgraded to fully make use of the plug.