No, it doesn't. All single-phase utility mains supplies come from one phase of a 3-phase supply. You can connect any device to one phase of the transformer, or even the alternator, and get single-phase power.
Of course, if you're smart, you connect several loads across each of the
3 phases to equalize your current in each phase, as the utilities and large commercial facilities do, but even that's not strictly necessary.John Perry
There are kludgey kits from J C Whitney etc. that promise just that;
120V from a car alternator. They carefully avoid mentioning the frequency....
I've collected the impression from rumors that many oem alternators are not able to handle their rated output at continuos duty cycle without premature failure, most likely due to thermal issues.
In terms out output at higher voltages, someone did mention inductive losses. That's the main issue with for example fine step stepper motors being run very fast - brushless servo motors, which are conceptually simpler but have fewer "steps" suffer from far less inductive loss at the high frequencies involved in rapid rotation. Similarly, a car alternator running at high speed and thus high frequency may have far more inductive loss than a machine built to produce 60hz AC at that rate. I'm reminded of rumors of relay coils that would draw similar power at your choice of 24v DC or 120 V (60hz) AC...
So the real impedance determines your waste heat for a given output current and contributes voltage sag, while the unreal impedance doesn't produce waste heat, but does produce voltage sag. (or are there core losses at those frequencies too?)
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