DC distribution systems for homes

Unprecedented expansion of native direct current (DC) powered equipment (computers and consumer electronics) has increased household DC electricity consumption over the past decade. Since power utilities deliver alternating current (AC) rather than DC, the conversion process (rectifier) used to supply DC loads is very inefficient. This paper investigates the suitability of employing conventional AC wiring to distribute DC power to supply loads directly, in particular around outlet/switch arcing issues. The problem of arcing in DC system is very predominant and needs to be addressed to meet safety requirements while improving the efficiency of the system. In order to overcome the arcing issues, an alternative flat DC wiring system is proposed which offers improved transient electrical and thermal characteristics for household wiring. The flat wire solution employs the same raw materials and provides improvements in parasitic values associated with arcing while reducing thermal resistance. The proposed flat wire geometry is expected to achieve reduction of arcing and improve the overall efficiency of the distribution system. Simulations of the two preliminary AC and DC systems are provided for typical domestic loads and switching events. A complete set of experimental results will be included in the final version of the paper.