Power Grid Discussion

[Dave70968]

Mods, we seem to be wandering a bit from Mr. Kane's original discussion. I'd love to have this discussion, but I don't want to take away from his. I think this discussion has value, and would benefit from its own thread so it's more easily searchable. Please feel free to transfer what you want to here so we can clean up the discussion.

Self-reporting on initial post to get it right, early. Feel free to edit.

 

[Mack45]

Dave, you have been so free with questions to your area of expertise, I hate to see your questions go unanswered. Although my experience has been on the secondary side of the power grid, I have had over 35 years of experience in industrial maintenance, specializing in electrical/ electronics. I would do my best to answer your questions.

 

[OKCHunter]

Interested in this topic as well. I didn't see the other thread where the discussion apparently started. Are we talking about EM pulse, Carrington type event, terrorism?

 

[Mack45]

No, I think it started out as concern about backfeeding the power grid with a homeowners generator.

 

[OKCHunter]

No, I think it started out as concern about backfeeding the power grid with a homeowners generator.

Ahh. I've got my generator plug tied into my main panel. There is a lock-out mechanism that allows on the main breaker to be switched on or the generator breaker to be switched on. Both cannot be on at the same time which prevents the generator from feeding to the external power lines.

 

[dennishoddy]

Dave, you have been so free with questions to your area of expertise, I hate to see your questions go unanswered. Although my experience has been on the secondary side of the power grid, I have had over 35 years of experience in industrial maintenance, specializing in electrical/ electronics. I would do my best to answer your questions.

That's my background as well, on the power supply side of power generation in instrumentation and control systems, not the "grid" per say.

 

[Dave70968]

I'm still curious about the concept of a phase short and how it applies in the split-phase system. Wouldn't the two phases cancel out?

 

[Powerman620]

On back feed, a transformer doesn’t care which side voltage comes from. Take 120 volt into secondary side ( where your service to house comes from) and it will come out primary voltage (from substation) at top therefore putting voltage down the line where men are working

 

[Mack45]

Dave, the two phases would be 180 degrees out of phase so they would not cancel.

 

[Mack45]

Powerman, what is the distribution voltage for rural areas? I am on REC up near Quapaw.