Naked Science Forum
General Discussion & Feedback => Just Chat! => Topic started by: Zer0 on 09/10/2022 00:29:58
-
How will Civilization cope with a major major Coronal Mass Ejection.
How equipped is our Technology to sustain a Humongous Solar Storm.
One that Obviously does not fry the whole planet, but rather fries all electronics.
Any views?
P.S. - perhaps a better question might have been to ask how does Europe plan on keeping itself warm during Winter.
⛄
(Hopefully someone shall ask soon)
-
I would reckon two major weaknesses could lead to disaster: (a) we are now way too dependent on microelectronics and (b) possible major grid failures. However all is not lost, you, Zero, appear to have such a surfeit of energy that (b) is not so serious and we could use your excess energy to power the planet!
-
Let me tell you about it...
Well, lemme tell you bout it...
Copyrights/Credits/Courtesy - Imagine Dragons/Royal Music/YouTube.
P.S. - Zer0 Point Energy!
👻
-
After the 1989 Quebec blackout (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_1989_geomagnetic_storm), power companies drew up plans to make themselves more resilient against a forecast CME.
- There is now a space weather service, fed by ground-based observatories and several satellites
- In case of a detected event, this includes turning on more local generation, so they are less reliant on long-distance transmission lines.
- Some operators have put fuses on the "star Earth point" of their transmission lines, so large earth currents from a CME will blow the fuse, allowing the transmission line to continue operating in a "floating" mode. Presumably, this fuse would need to be carefully chosen so it doesn't blow due to lightning or the wires touching trees, etc).
As we are now approaching the peak of solar activity, I guess some of these procedures might be tested over the next few years...
-
My understanding is that the GB grid's strategy is to turn everything on and try to use the UK's grid to bounce the C.M.E. off it electromagnetically.
I am not making this up.
-
Thus precipitating a blackout in order to avert a blackout! It's about as sane as the 1980s' Transition to War protocol.
-
Having a Temporary BlackOut to avert a major permanent long term system damage seems like a Good strategy.
Even if the CME wasn't as intense as expected, the option to switch the Grid Back On would be Nicer option to have, rather than Not having a workable transmissible grid at All.
P.S. - The Ideology of Prevention being Better than Cure!
🔌
-
The thinking seems to be that the grid transformers are connected in y with center Earth taps, and the CME would create DC like currents down those taps. If all the transformer are connected it shunts the currents away to Earth. If you leave the wires open there's more likely to be high voltages, arcing and failure.
See:
https://www.nationalgrideso.com/document/61156/download
-
In Ireland the rural 10kv system is a floating system with the centre y unconnected. The reason for this is simple: over long runs the chance of an earth fault occurring due to a fallen tree is quite high and if the centre point is grounded there is a high chance of supply failure. If one of the phases gets grounded, it's potential goes to a nominal zero and the other two phases go to 10kv( as opposed to the normal 5.7kv ) and customers on the far side of a transformer will see no difference. This situation can be maintained until the fault ( detected by residual voltage protection ) can be corrected. I don't know about how the higher voltages are operated, I have experience with the 10kv system only.
-
What about Satellites?
There have been Solar Storms in the past.
Probably one was in 2012.
I haven't heard of any Major damage being inflicted in the past from C.M.E.s
Is there a possibility that Grids would Survive but Satellite Telecommunications would take a hit?
P.S. - Then even if i have Electricity ON, what am i supposed to do with No Satellite TV or No Cell phone signals?
☹️
What do i watch & who do i call?