"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Tag: Electrical Engineering
Superconductors in the Transmission Grid
01/16/19
“How can superconductors be beneficial for the transmission grid?”
Losses by electrical resistance are one of the largest contributors to inefficiency in the power grid system. However, if the normal wiring materials were replaced by superconductive materials which lack any resistance, then this issue would dissipate away.
Image credit http://www.meidensha.com
The US Interconnections
01/15/19
“How is the US power grid divided up?”
The United States is a large country. Spanning between two major oceans, it is truly a wonder to behold. But this might be too large for a single interconnection. Instead, the US is divided up into multiple separate interconnections, which together make up The US Interconnections. It is mainly divided between the Western and Eastern Interconnections, with the Texas Interconnection being a small subset.
Image link https://www.eia.gov
Why Transmission Cables Need to be Lightweight
01/10/19
“Why do transmission cables need to be lightweight?”
Transmission cables are what connects the modern grid together. And one of their most important properties is their weight. The lighter their weight, the weaker their sag. This is Why Transmission Cables Need to be Lightweight.
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
