If a powerline fails the connected power plant produces to much electricity? so it has to shut down, Other powerplants must compensate by generating more electricity, but the powerlines connected to those are over stimulated and heat up, to prevent dammage the cablas shut them self down, Now other power plant need to compensate that....
It's like a domino <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/badsmile2.gif" alt="" />
Morbo, I hope that you are kidding. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/puppyeyes.gif" alt="" />
Compensating predetermined loads of critical zones being generator-double-feed from sources designed to handle that load single-handedly is well known, but fuzzy compensation of unpredictable loads by a network already overloaded is rather silly.
If two stations were 100 Megawatts output rated and loaded at 70 % constantly but a critical zone consumes 20 Megawatts is double feed then one station going out means loading the other by that 20 MW. The result is predetermined and the healthy station is then loaded at 90 MW which it can handle.
Fuzzy compensation is not like that and it means that 140 MW need supply from a 100 MW station, which may not be handled.
I do not expect or believe that American electric network designers missed basics, and I do not buy that crappie explanation that says the system was down due to fuzzy compensation like as if the power stations were humans trying to give a hand. Add to that that those stations are constantly monitored by humans or / and computers. A circuit breaker “making” and adding a load must be rated and known to add an affordable load.
Those stations are not run by idiots but by some of the most trustworthy intelligent engineers; unless all of them were conscripted for war with Iraq of course. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
Two previous similar events must have taught everyone what should be done. Yet “should” and “can” are two different things. As for “can,” I would say that America should spend its recourses on renewing its infrastructure rather than spending it on war destroying the Iraqi infrastructure then spending some more restoring it. The American voters should really work harder on selecting the decision makers that can take decisions for the welfare of the Americans rather than selling them crap on the evening news.
The global Internet depends heavily on American nodes and communication centres and everyone around the world would feel it if something goes wrong. In Japan, some ISP advertises proudly that they have direct broadband connections to the American major nodes. In the light of the recent events, they would certainly panic.
