marks@tekigm2.MEN.TEK.COM (Mark D. Salzman) (12/06/89)
In article <8902@swlabs.UUCP> jack@swlabs.UUCP (Jack Bonn) writes: >I was wondering: what ever happened to the use of high voltage DC for >power transmission? I understood that the high voltage inverters >needed were technologically feasible, yet I've heard very little of >this since. HV DC transmission systems do exist. We have one here in Oregon to send power from our Columbia River power grid to southern California. It runs at about 1MV DC if memory serves me well. The problem with this system is that it requires an expensive converter station at both ends of the line. So it is only used when power is sent over a very long distance, where the cost of the stations is made up for by the increase in efficiency of the system. -- # Mark D. Salzman Phone: (206) 253-5542. # The more complex the mind, # Tektronix Inc., P.O. Box 3500, M/S C1-936 # the greater the need for # Vancouver, Washington. USA 98668 # the simplicity of play. # E-MAIL: marks@tekigm2.MEN.TEK.COM # James T. Kirk
ridder@elvira.cxo3.dec.com (Hans Ridder) (12/07/89)
In article <7458@tekigm2.MEN.TEK.COM> marks@tekigm2.MEN.TEK.COM (Mark D. Salzman) writes: >In article <8902@swlabs.UUCP> jack@swlabs.UUCP (Jack Bonn) writes: >>I was wondering: what ever happened to the use of high voltage DC for >>power transmission? I understood that the high voltage inverters >>needed were technologically feasible, yet I've heard very little of >>this since. > >HV DC transmission systems do exist. We have one here in Oregon to send >power from our Columbia River power grid to southern California. It runs >at about 1MV DC if memory serves me well. > The line mentioned here is called the Pacific Intertie. It was covered in an article in the 1988 25th Anniversary issue of IEEE Spectrum. The article says the line runs at +-500 KV DC (1 MV as mentioned above), delivering 3100 MW of power by mid-'89. It also mentions another DC line delivering 1600 MW from Delta, Utah to Los Angeles. They've got this grounding electrode in Santa Monica Bay.... Interesting article.... -hans ======================================================================== Hans-Gabriel Ridder Digital Equipment Corporation ridder@elvira.enet.dec.com Customer Support Center ...decwrl!elvira.enet!ridder Colorado Springs, CO
billk@hpsad.HP.COM (Bill Katz) (12/08/89)
A High Voltage DC transmission system would also be used when power needs to be moved between 2 AC systems that are not synchronized in phase. In the US there are 3 different networks (roughly east of the rockies, west of the rockies, and texas), each of which is synchronous, and at several places there are DC interties between them. ______________________________________________________________________________ _ /| -ACK! Bill (the) Katz Internet: billk@hpsad.hp.com \'o.O' -PFHHHT! Hewlett-Packard UUCP: hplabs!hpsad!billk =(___)= -COUGH! Signal Analysis Div. Phone: (707) 794-2300 U -ACK! 1212 Valley House Dr. Fax: (707) 794-4452 Rohnert Park, CA 95428 ______________________________________________________________________________