Abstract :
UTILIZATION voltage is usually thought of in terms of the voltage rating of the lamps used, or of a nominal standard voltage announced by the company rendering service. It is probably quite generally understood that the voltage actually appearing at the outlets to which lamps or appliances are connected varies somewhat from time to time. What is not so well recognized, however, is the fact that the voltages delivered at customers´ outlets on any power system are normally distributed in a characteristic pattern through a band of voltage of considerable width. It is the purpose of this paper to point out that this voltage band or spread is an inherent characteristic of the system, to discuss its source and its nature, and to indicate the connection between it and the design and rating of utilization equipment.
