Re:Con Ed can’t explain what caused the Manhattan blackout
by snowwindwaves on Sunday July 14, 2019 @04:43PM
(#20435868)
I had to determine why a single hydro electric generator kept on going off-line last week. Turned out to be a temperature sensor in the generator gone bad or high resistance connection in that circuit. Due to improper historical logging of alarms, older protection relays, etc, it took a visit to the power plant and a few hours of downloading and analyzing event files and correlating signals with the schematics.
So a massive outage like NYC has just experienced will take weeks to collect the event files and analyze them. Probably the time was wrong in some places as well so it will be hard to figure out the exact sequence of events.
Re:Con Ed can’t explain what caused the Manhattan blackout
by simtel20 on Monday July 15, 2019 @07:15AM
(#20439691)
At a prior job we had our data centers in the building in that neighborhood. Because it had grown up with the computers down the hall and then down the elevator it was hard to sell upper management on moving to a real data center.
What finally made the case was multiple summer power outages because con ed couldn't tell us how much power was actually possible to be drawn in the neighborhood. Between theaters turning up stage lights a couple of times a day, companies with data centers etc. It turns out that con ed has just run wires for a long time where requested without an overall tally of what the peak draw could be. This event was predictable, and if con ed or the city doesn't actually count the peak possible capacity going to each customer and make sure it can provide that, power outages in that neighborhood will continue to happen going forward.
Re:Con Ed can’t explain what caused the Manhattan blackout
by noir_lord on Sunday July 14, 2019 @06:39PM
(#20436703)
Should be but then people wouldn't click the article to find out why big professional organization is inept thereby confirming their biases and giving them that lovely little frisson and dopamine hit.
Re:Con Ed can’t explain what caused the Manhattan blackout
by lykr0n on Sunday July 14, 2019 @07:34PM
(#20436967)
I presume they left out that 13kV is what the street level transformers get- which in turn will turn into 240v split phase, 240v three phase, or 480v three phase.
Re:Con Ed can’t explain what caused the Manhattan blackout
by Glawen on Monday July 15, 2019 @07:48AM
(#20439903)
Isn't 120v the norm in the US ? In France, every home has a three phase 400V coming from the utility, then you choose if you want single phase or three phase in your home.
So a massive outage like NYC has just experienced will take weeks to collect the event files and analyze them. Probably the time was wrong in some places as well so it will be hard to figure out the exact sequence of events.
What finally made the case was multiple summer power outages because con ed couldn't tell us how much power was actually possible to be drawn in the neighborhood. Between theaters turning up stage lights a couple of times a day, companies with data centers etc. It turns out that con ed has just run wires for a long time where requested without an overall tally of what the peak draw could be. This event was predictable, and if con ed or the city doesn't actually count the peak possible capacity going to each customer and make sure it can provide that, power outages in that neighborhood will continue to happen going forward.
They've left off a bit of detail here :)
The electrical outlet in your wall does not supply 13,000 volts.
that being said, i approve
What else does the number 42 signify?
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phrases_from_The_Hitchhiker%27...
See also
[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/FanTheories/comments/24uio5/the_tru...
Would Con Ed even be able to determine in case this was a cyber attack?