Power industry changes
Power industry changes
(OP)
I'm trying to get a handle on when different trends in the power industry were started. For example, you see some copper wire on overhead systems, but utilities switched to aluminum quite some time ago.
Is there a link that tracks some of the more significant changes?
Is there a link that tracks some of the more significant changes?





RE: Power industry changes
Aluminum and ACSR are common.
RE: Power industry changes
You're probably not going to see copper on transmission lines; there's still a fair amount out there on distribution lines.
RE: Power industry changes
Bill
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"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter
RE: Power industry changes
Cheers
Greg Locock
SIG:Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Power industry changes
You're right. Before the advent of electrolytic processes to produce aluminum, elemental aluminum was rare and expensive. In 1884 a one hundred ounce chunk was used to cap the Washington Monument and at the time that was the largest piece ever produced.
According to Wikipedia it's been available in commercial quantities for a hundred years. Same Wiki article says 15 kWH produced 1 kg of aluminum. Historically speaking, aluminum manufacturing in the US has centered around cheap electricity such as hydro or cheap natural gas fuel.
old field guy
RE: Power industry changes
RE: Power industry changes
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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!
RE: Power industry changes
Somewhere in 90's it was a big problem for the utilities, but now this practice decreased - I hope the reason is that most of the "specialists" have made once a mistake.
By the way, during my visit to Ethiopia some years ago I saw many drums with ACSR left unguarded near to the road (new 132 kV line was in construction in that area). I asked colleagues from the utility and they said - No, thefts are not a problem, because there is not a system for buying up the scrap metal!
Well, I am sure when the progress come there they will face the same problem too
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It may be like this in theory and practice, but in real life it is completely different.
The favourite sentence of my army sergeant
RE: Power industry changes
RE: Power industry changes
RE: Power industry changes
A new home was under construction, and an observer saw some bandits stripping the copper pipes. They even cut a pipe under pressure, and it was left open filling the basement.
RE: Power industry changes
I may get branded with Scotty but humorous would have been if the pipe under pressure squirted a fuze box and they all got a 'short, sharp shock', blacked out and woke up just in time for the rozzers to cart them off in the meat wagon.
KENAT,
Have you reminded yourself of FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies recently, or taken a look at http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?
RE: Power industry changes
tools stolen right off the rig, and in some cases
right out of the shop parking lot.
Throughout the metro areas, quite a few manhole lids
and other utility covers have disappeared as well.
Not to mention the bronze flower vases from several cemeteries.
The problem appears to be proportional to one's
proximity to Miami.
RE: Power industry changes
Cheers
Greg Locock
SIG:Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Power industry changes
Before we could move into the building, we discovered that the copper thieves had removed half of the wiring in the building, pulling the wires right out of the conduits.
After talking to the insurance co., we started re-wiring the building and hired a security co to watch the place.
One evening the security guard heard a noise around the side of the building and went to investigate, he found a pair of bolt cutters welded to the main feed into the building. The thief was trying to cut the main earth/ground wire coming into the building and had contacted the hot wire as well. Unfortunately the thief was not there when the guard arrived.
The police were sure he/she had been burned and scoured the local hospitals with no luck.
B.E.
RE: Power industry changes
What is a Limerick?
Anonymous
The limerick packs laughs anatomical
Into space that is quite economical.
But the good ones I've seen
So seldom are clean
And the clean ones so seldom are comical.
ht
RE: Power industry changes
Yes, it is a massive problem here in the UK because the gains are large compared with the effort involved, the police are limited in their powers and mired in worthless paperwork, the guilty are defended by legal weasels paid for using public money, and the courts are run by senile old men who have lost their grip on reality. It is immensely annoying to the UK's law-abiding citizens and more so to those of us in the industry.
Kenat,
'meat wagon', 'rozzers'
I can tell you are a Brit!
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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!
RE: Power industry changes
I took some old copper solar collectors to the scrap merchant, who promptly demanded to see two forms of identification before he would accept the panels, and then paid me with a check ( cheque ) which could only be deposited, not en cashed.
This should slow the copper cable "recyclers." down a little. I do not think it will stop them.
B.E.
RE: Power industry changes
RE: Power industry changes
That sounds like a big step in the right direction. Over here some of the scrap dealers are rather less reputable than others. If I was of a mind to do so, I know a few places where I could offload illegally obtained scrap without any questions being asked. I expect quite a few of you could say the same thing. In defence of the UK's police I also understand that they have caught a few of the 'less than reputable' dealers in sting type operations.
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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!