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bruuuno 3:48 Sat Aug 10
U.K. hit by large scale power cut

Gotta be the ruskies surely?

Mike Oxsaw 10:17 Sat Aug 10
Re: U.K. hit by large scale power cut

So you were already aware of the concept of generator farms then.

Are you looking for a five minute argument or the full half hour?

, 9:38 Sat Aug 10
Re: U.K. hit by large scale power cut

Those applications are for peak lopping when demand rises and what used to be spinning reserve generation, rarely available now, could be put online from a running standby situation.

In short when demand is rising and looking like going above the programmed for peak NG can call upon other methods of generation to supplement and cope with the load.

Yesterday's incident was not one that these farms are built to cope with and indeed they could not anyway. A sudden loss of 5% of input capacity immediately puts the national supply at risk, the mains frequency drops and the timely thing to do is reduce demand asap because waiting for extra capacity to fire up would see the grid's frequency falling to the point that there would be a national blackout.

In short if the grid loses a significant amount of generation the only way to save the situation is to immediately reduce demand, stabilise the supply and then bring supplementary generation back onto the grid.

Yesterday the grid lost just over 1,000 MW of generation and the total national diesel farm installed capacity is just 124 MW, an amount well short of being any help at all the more so because the replacement generation was needed immediately not minutes down the line.

Mike Oxsaw 9:02 Sat Aug 10
Re: U.K. hit by large scale power cut

, 8:13 Sat Aug 10

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/dec/06/diesel-farms-national-grid-tax-breaks

ironsofcanada 8:26 Sat Aug 10
Re: U.K. hit by large scale power cut

DocMarten 7:54 Sat Aug 10

Or stop asking too many questions about 5G.

, 8:13 Sat Aug 10
Re: U.K. hit by large scale power cut

MO 1.22, as per usual you are posting utter nonsense. You know nothing about interconnected power systems as illustrated by the simplistic idea that generator farms [ what are they btw ] can power up at a moment's notice.

DocMarten 7:54 Sat Aug 10
Re: U.K. hit by large scale power cut

Chinese hack as a warning to keep our noses out of HK.

Mike Oxsaw 1:22 Sat Aug 10
Re: U.K. hit by large scale power cut

I'm sure I read not too long ago that there are dozens of generator farms dotted about the country, all ready to power up at a moment's notice to cover events like this.

The news article concerned the price paid for electricity so supplied, so maybe it really was just a commercial decision: electricity is there, but fucked if WE (the companies) are paying the government approved price for it.

Think of our profits, man!

It's not like the customers can physically get their power elsewhere...so fuck 'em!

zebthecat 1:22 Sat Aug 10
Re: U.K. hit by large scale power cut

We have certainly found out that the prevailing idea that the private sector is necessarily better at running things than the state is a myth.

Guy Gibsons Dog 1:19 Sat Aug 10
Re: U.K. hit by large scale power cut

How did people cope when they could not charge their phones

overbyyer 1:16 Sat Aug 10
Re: U.K. hit by large scale power cut

Have a read of Private Island if you want an insight into the state of the privatised utilities.

We used to have spare generating capacity to bring online for peak and failure events like this, but the sell-out put paid to that.

Having supplies also own the generating companies is a disgrace - they choose the price per unit that they want to sell to themselves and conveniently have power stations off-line to manipulate the unit price further.

, 12:44 Sat Aug 10
Re: U.K. hit by large scale power cut

The really important thing is traction supplies are working on C2C and they have WiFi too so we can all get to the season opener.

BFN.

, 12:36 Sat Aug 10
Re: U.K. hit by large scale power cut

Yesterday’s problem was not because of a couple of minor blowouts. There was a major problem caused by two contributors to the grid failing almost simultaneously leaving the national network in a position where in an instant national supply was 5% short of national demand.

If a situation like this is not addressed immediately the grid effectively stalls leading to a total national shut down. In place on the power system are frequency monitoring relays which are pre programmed to switch off supply to various areas until demand and supply are matched and the system frequency stabilises.

This is what happened yesterday and rather than be critical of the supply failure we should be thankful that the national grid systems in place successfully arrested a desperate situation and stabilised it.

Naturally restoring supplies once generation is available is a process that requires resetting of relays and plant in a safe and systematic way which means it ain’t quickly done.

, 12:22 Sat Aug 10
Re: U.K. hit by large scale power cut

The tube had two coal fired power stations generating traction supply. One at Greenwich and the other, as pointed out at Lots Road Fulham.

The supplies to stations were always, and still are taken from the local area networks. These days all our railways take supplies for whatever purpose from the utility companies.

Sven Roeder 12:18 Sat Aug 10
Re: U.K. hit by large scale power cut

The power cuts in the 1970’s I understood were because the strikes meant the power stations closed down.
These ones were because a couple of minor blowouts caused large swathes of power to disappear and 3 of the biggest London stations to be inoperative.
I don’t think anyone imagined the nations power supply was so vulnerable to what sounds like a relatively small blow out.
I’m sure the new Prime Minister will be right on top of all the detail and explain it all.

Westham67 12:14 Sat Aug 10
Re: U.K. hit by large scale power cut

Far Cough 11:25 Sat Aug 10

Spot on Lots Road disused now

Cheezey Bell-End 12:10 Sat Aug 10
Re: U.K. hit by large scale power cut

I think Lots Rd is now luxury flats. Or will be.

Mike Oxsaw 11:55 Sat Aug 10
Re: U.K. hit by large scale power cut

Far Cough 11:25 Sat Aug 10

Lot's Road, wasn't it?

Think that's long gone and they get their power from the national grid these days.

Rather surprised that they don't have at least 2 geographically separate supplies to cater for events like this.

Far Cough 11:25 Sat Aug 10
Re: U.K. hit by large scale power cut

Tubes used to have their own power station, not sure if they still do?

Willtell 11:25 Sat Aug 10
Re: U.K. hit by large scale power cut

Has anyone blamed Brexit yet?

Westham67 11:10 Sat Aug 10
Re: U.K. hit by large scale power cut

Yeah they have back up lighting still a bit eerie if that comes on

Cheezey Bell-End 11:05 Sat Aug 10
Re: U.K. hit by large scale power cut

I would hope that tube stations had emergency lighting with battery backup. It would be scary to be plunged into complete darkness knowing the platform edge was somewhere near and people were panicking around you.

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