Re: power-grid physics

[Brian Whatcott <betwys1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>]

At 02:37 PM 8/20/2003 -0500, you wrote:
> Maybe we need a tutorial for those of us somewhat AC-impaired.  Let me
> propose this simplified scenario and see if anyone on the list knows how
> this works in reality.
>
> Power is off.  Two generating plants, each with a max output of 1000
> Watts--generators at 100 Volts.  One transmission line at 1000 volts.  A
> load (still switched on) of 1600 Watts--say two factories each wanting 800
> Watts at 100 volts.
>
> OK--how do you turn the power back on?  How does the phase get synchronized?
> What, if any, role do the transformers play in this scenario?
>
> ??Rick
>
> *********************************************************
> Richard W. Tarara
> Professor of Physics
> Saint Mary's College
> Notre Dame, Indiana
> rtarara@saintmarys.edu


Treating this as a hypothetical puzzle - which I suppose it really is
if I mention there is no relation to reality:
I spin up generator 1 to 60 Hz,  at 70 volts, at which point the
load is drawing 70^2 / 100/16 watts.  That's  784 watts.
Then as soon as possible, I spin up the second, and when it
self-synchronizes, it then lifts network volts slowly so as not
 to exceed 1000 watts at either source.



Brian Whatcott    Altus OK    Eureka!