used exclusively in Brazil
Type N socket and plug are the official standard in Brazil. This standard was gradually phased in between 2007 and 2010. Type N looks very much like the Swiss type J standard, but it is incompatible with it since type N has the earth pin closer to the centre line than type J (3 mm instead of 5 mm). Type N consists of two pins and a grounding pin. There are two versions: one is rated at 10 amps and has got a pin diameter of 4 mm. The second version, rated at 20 amps, is used for heavier appliances and has a 4.8 mm pin diameter. Type N sockets were specifically designed to accommodate the ubiquitous type C plugs as well.
Type N is actually based on the international standard 230 V household plug system, called IEC 60906-1. In 1986, the International Electrotechnical Commission published this standard, which was intended to become the common standard for the whole of Europe (and, by extension, all other regions with 230 V mains). Unfortunately, the effort to adopt it as a European Union standard was put on hold in the mid-1990s. Brazil had been using as many as 10 (!) different types of plugs and sockets, including the frequently used type C.
In order to put an end to this proliferation of different types of sockets and plugs, the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards published the standard NBR 14136 in 2001 and started implementing it in 2007. This Norma BRasileira 14136, however, is not completely identical to IEC 60906-1. The biggest difference is the fact that the Brazilian standard has a pin diameter of 4mm for the 10A plug and 4.8mm for the 20A plug, while the original IEC 60906-1 standard has a single pin diameter of 4.5mm and a maximum current of 16A.
Although type N plug and socket are among the safest in the world, Brazil's standardisation on one single plug and socket does entail some risks. Why? Simply because Brazil is one of the few countries that does not have a standard voltage, but at the same time it has only one official type of socket! In other words, you cannot tell the difference between a 220 V and a 127 V socket! Most states use 127 V electricity, but a couple of them are on 220 V. This means that a 127 V hairdryer bought in the state of Minas Gerais will be destroyed when plugged into a compatible 220 V socket in Distrito Federal!
Make sure you check out the local voltage before plugging something in!
world standards Power plug N / HoSunn Tech
Labels: global standards,Brazil power plug
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