Yes, open ring design for transmission lines too (and spare units for transformers/breakers).
Open ring design is a standart thing here in Ukraine for low voltage distribution power lines (I mean 6-10-35 kV).
Open ring design is a standart thing here in Ukraine for low voltage distribution power lines (I mean 6-10-35 kV).
I’ve seen open delta (and equivalent wye) even in the states, for 3 phase installations where the 3 phase load is relatively light. One leg likes to go flying when heavy single phase loads get switched on and off the other two or when the neutral is bad at the box. I have seen it responsible for a superbly cooked amplifier (I’ll leave it to you to figure out what model number). I used to see it all the time when I was a kid and wondered why the hell they only had 2 transformers on the pole. Don’t see it as much nowadays, though. May not even be allowed by code anymore in some places.
I'm still very impressed about them discovering there's a fault, removing and replacing a transformer, in winter during a heavy snowfall, in just over half an hour.
You can tell me how easy it is all you want, still very impressed.
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Power went out, I thought: "Ahhh, that's nice, so long since we had no power. Bet it will take a while in this weather." Fired up the wood stove, found a book and some candles for light, sat down and then: light...
You can tell me how easy it is all you want, still very impressed.
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Power went out, I thought: "Ahhh, that's nice, so long since we had no power. Bet it will take a while in this weather." Fired up the wood stove, found a book and some candles for light, sat down and then: light...
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A few years ago I heard a pole-mounted transformer buzzing loudly about 4 houses down the street, so I called the power company (Silicon Valley Power, a public utility) about 11am, and they had it fixed by 3pm, and the power was off for only about 45 minutes.
Several severe thunderstorms have passed through here today with more coming. Our power has been off 5 times this afternoon. Three minutes was the longest outage.
We were over in western Pennsylvania yesterday and saw some Florida style storms as we were driving on I-79. There was about a foot of muddy standing water completely covering the road in a construction zone. When we got to Home Depot it look like a tornado had hit the outdoor garden center with stuff all over the place and racks of potted plants broken on the ground.
When we got home the clocks had lost almost two hours.
It's been several years since the power company sent the tree trimmers out here. I think its time to do it again.
We were over in western Pennsylvania yesterday and saw some Florida style storms as we were driving on I-79. There was about a foot of muddy standing water completely covering the road in a construction zone. When we got to Home Depot it look like a tornado had hit the outdoor garden center with stuff all over the place and racks of potted plants broken on the ground.
When we got home the clocks had lost almost two hours.
It's been several years since the power company sent the tree trimmers out here. I think its time to do it again.
My first house was <1000 square foot in a less desirable part of San Jose, California. The only time I had a power outage was during the huge 1989 earthquake, and that one lasted for 18 hours. A lot of distribution transformers were jolted off their pads, and I saw one radio tower that was mounted on large ceramic insulators lying flat on the ground - guess why?
I moved to a larger place in downtown SJ, and the outages are far more frequent. I had one just this past Monday that went from 7:30AM to 8:30 AM. I quite often come home and find that the clocks on the microwave and oven have been jumbled due to an outage. I suspect that the downtown infrastructure is a lot older. There's also the possibility of copper thieves, though they usually seem to go for the wire connecting the street lights.
I moved to a larger place in downtown SJ, and the outages are far more frequent. I had one just this past Monday that went from 7:30AM to 8:30 AM. I quite often come home and find that the clocks on the microwave and oven have been jumbled due to an outage. I suspect that the downtown infrastructure is a lot older. There's also the possibility of copper thieves, though they usually seem to go for the wire connecting the street lights.
I have offered to trim or remove trees in the lot behind mine just to avoid the potential power outage. The owner was fairly old and not actually living onsite.
Worst outage I had was in Federal Way, WA. A good November storm came in. I'd literally just gotten out of bed and stepped into my kitchen to make coffee when I saw a big, bright green flash down the hill from my house. A loud BOOM! followed and the power went out. It took a good 24 hours before the power was back up. I guess that's the advantage of living near a hospital and police station. 🙂
After that we had an outage of about an hour once each year. Not enough to worry about generators for.
I never had an outage when I lived in Seattle. Not even the Nisqually quake in 2001 knocked the power out.
My only outage in Calgary was when the power company disconnected my house so they could move the service so it didn't go over my neighbour's garage.
I do have a 1350 VA UPS on my file server and internet packet filter/firewall, but that's about it.
Tom
After that we had an outage of about an hour once each year. Not enough to worry about generators for.
I never had an outage when I lived in Seattle. Not even the Nisqually quake in 2001 knocked the power out.
My only outage in Calgary was when the power company disconnected my house so they could move the service so it didn't go over my neighbour's garage.
I do have a 1350 VA UPS on my file server and internet packet filter/firewall, but that's about it.
Tom
I had to get a UPS as a matter of self-defense, for more than one reason. When I first moved into my current abode, the distribution transformer serving my neighborhood was a few houses down the way - I could just see it from my back steps. After a few years PG&E decided it was time to upgrade the service. They replaced the distribution transformer and moved it to the pole at the back corner of my property, so I was first in line for the goodies. My line voltage was temporarily up around 125VAC until they shifted a tap and brought it down a bit. My computer started getting random "blue screens of death", as I was first in line for any line transients as well as the juice. I bought a UPS that included some heavy-duty surge protection, and that problem went away. Of course, I also ride through line outages as a result.
The power was off several more times as the second round of storms came through about 7 PM. It took about 30 minutes to watch the last 5 minutes of American Ninja Warrior which was on the DVR. It would be playing and the power would flash off for a few seconds as a tree branch and a HV line played tag with each other. This sends the cable box into convulsions, then a reboot sequence which takes 5 minutes or more. Then you have to restart the show and find the spot where you were when it shut off.
Sometime during this fun the UPS delivery guy tossed a box of parts from Mouser on my porch. Did he toss it far enough to land where it was dry? NOOOOO, it was on the front edge of the porch, directly in the rain. The box was so wet that water ran out of it when I picked it up, and the cardboard started coming apart. Fortunately Mouser put all the part in a plastic bag which was taped shut. They remained dry.
Sometime during this fun the UPS delivery guy tossed a box of parts from Mouser on my porch. Did he toss it far enough to land where it was dry? NOOOOO, it was on the front edge of the porch, directly in the rain. The box was so wet that water ran out of it when I picked it up, and the cardboard started coming apart. Fortunately Mouser put all the part in a plastic bag which was taped shut. They remained dry.
Sheish! I am the only one on my transformer. My line voltage is 130VAC.
Every time a squirrel runs down the line and jumps off on the step down transformer I get to call in and report the outage.
Every time a squirrel runs down the line and jumps off on the step down transformer I get to call in and report the outage.
I thought you liked fried squirrel in TN.
My old street in Cleveland, from last night's storm:
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Hi I can only advise to ask your local power company for a visit and explanation (they often do that). It is probably not like you think it is. The half hour was likely spent on diagnosing/testing and then opening and closing the ring elsewhere and then the transformer could be isolated and replaced. Sometimes this is even automated.
This is fascinating stuff as things are done very simple yet very effective. The result of practical thinking of previous generations technicians. When I got to know how things work in that area I was surprised and I think it is just as interesting as electronics.
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The power outage in question was caused by (the semi-usual) tractor clearing snow, kind of hard to see the connection boxes standing in a ditch with 4-5meters of compacted piled over it. Think it was coincidental more than planned.
I thought you guys always put rods near those boxes that would stick out above the snow? Or was that Switzerland? 😎
Maybe a case where we could learn from Japan?
Jan
Maybe a case where we could learn from Japan?
Jan
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We put sticks all over the place, eventually they disappear and there's too much stuff piled in various locations, eventually someone decides to remove some of it from around intersections and stuff so people driving can actually see surrounding traffic. That's often when the magic happens.
As of 6:04 AM this morning we are in the dark again. The estimated time of restoration is 10 PM tonight. This is the 5th power outage of over 4 hours in this area.
It also comes with daily momentary outages that reset the clocks on everything and send the Comcast modem and TV boxes into a 5 to 10 minute reboot sequence. Doesn't their equipment vendor understand backup batteries or super caps? I'm sure that they do, but Comcast would prefer the lowest cost alternative.
It also comes with daily momentary outages that reset the clocks on everything and send the Comcast modem and TV boxes into a 5 to 10 minute reboot sequence. Doesn't their equipment vendor understand backup batteries or super caps? I'm sure that they do, but Comcast would prefer the lowest cost alternative.
Declare independence. An invasion will follow by a country that brings peace and democracy and they will build a new infrastructure at your cost and take the oil/gas/metals/uranium when you have that.
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I have an illegal extension cord running in the attic and into the living room wall, plugged into the UPS in the data closet and has the DVR plugged in the other end. In the new house there will be dedicated backup power outlets, strategically located. Centrally located 1500W sine wave UPS. Probably plug in everything but the P3500 power amp. TV speakers will work for a few minutes at a time.
I keep seeing commercials for the new Generac solar power system, with a Tesla battery. I can’t help but thinking such a system would be better off using multiple 12 volt gel lead acid (Think Optima type batteries, only $200 each the last time I put in the Highlander this winter.). Iv’e seen commercial stuff with as high as 385V DC buses. A lot of KWH. I’ll bet the replacement cost would be lower than that Tesla battery, and require it less often. Bet the inverters are better, too.
I keep seeing commercials for the new Generac solar power system, with a Tesla battery. I can’t help but thinking such a system would be better off using multiple 12 volt gel lead acid (Think Optima type batteries, only $200 each the last time I put in the Highlander this winter.). Iv’e seen commercial stuff with as high as 385V DC buses. A lot of KWH. I’ll bet the replacement cost would be lower than that Tesla battery, and require it less often. Bet the inverters are better, too.
Sorry to read that - Ugh. Doesnt Comcast have to support their lines for the VOIP customers? I know some of their modems have a battery for this purpose - keeps the phone live so you can still call someone when the power is out.
I assume that's why my 12V battery powering the modem (trick) worked.
I'm sure such a "battery in parallel with the wall wart" could be arranged, for when these frequent shorter line drops become a super nuisance. I'm glad my modem ran from straight 12, versus needing something like "15"...