"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Author: Isaac Gendler
Copper Losses
01/04/18
“How is electricity lost in copper?”
Current flow is one of the basis of operation for transformers. However, when the current will heat up the transformer, causing energy losses. These are known as Copper Losses and must be taken into account during transformer design.
Energy Control Systems
01/03/18
“How does the electrical grid control power flow?”
The modern grid is becoming more and more digital than ever. To control everything going on, Energy Control Systems are used to monitor and dispatch loads when necessary.
Synchronous Compensators
01/02/18
“How can we use synchronous motors to stabilize the grid?”
Synchronous Motors are great for precision control applications. But their usage can be applied to grid stabilizations. Since voltage in a grid can fluctuate, by running synchronous motors at no-load speeds we can effectively have a load that adds inertia to the system, therefore mellowing out the voltage fluctuation. These devices are known as a Synchronous Compensators and are a vital part of the modern grid.
Synchronous Motors
01/01/19
“How can motors be synchronized with current?”
AC Motors can convert electrical energy supplied by current into mechanical energy. But are there motors where the frequency of the shaft’s rotation is equal to the frequency of the supply current? Well, it turns out these machines are known as Synchronous Motors and are used in cases where motor speed needs to be very precise.
Image credit http://3.bp.blogspot.com
Base Load Power Plants
12/31/18
“Do some power plants require a minimum supply of energy?”
Power plants kept the infrastructure of the old energy paradigm running. And many of these required a constant load to run, giving the name Base Load Power Plants. These plants would only be turned off for maintenance or upgrades. Examples include nuclear plants, coal-fired power plants, and tidal power plants.
India’s Regional Grids
12/30/18
“How is India’s national grid divided?”
India’s national grid is a modern engineering marvel that is able to keep electricity to the whole country flowing. But it rests on top of five Reginal Grids which power the North, South, West, East, and Northeast of the country.
Image credit NREL
India’s National Power Grid
12/29/18
“What connects all of India’s electricity sector together?”
India is one of the largest countries in the world and is about to become the most populous as well. And it must find a way to meet the electricity needs of its citizens. This is done through a National Power Grid, which connects 5 regional grids through high voltage electricity. This allows for power trading and stabilization when necessary.
Image credit http://1.bp.blogspot.com
Back-to-back Connections
12/28/18
“How can we hook up two asynchronous power connections?”
Different power grids might operate at different frequencies. And they might also cover different geographic regions that offer different but useful resources. They can be hooked up together at an HVDC substation using something called a Back-to-back Connection.
Erosion
12/27/18
“How is rock and soil material transported from one part of the Earth’s surface to another?”
Weathering can break down rocks and soils on the Earth into smaller components. Once they are small enough, they can be easily scooped up by natural Earth fluids such as wind and rainwater runoff. This process is known as Erosion and is one of the most fundamental aspects of geology.
