Las Vegas / Bellagio Hotel Power Failure
Las Vegas / Bellagio Hotel Power Failure
(OP)
For anyone interested, here is the inside scoop on what happened at the Bellagio 2 weeks ago. The media stories avoided most of the technical issues of course, but my curiosity got the best of me. I couldn't understand how a cable failure could take out the backup power systems as well. It turned out to be an interesting lesson in being "penny-wise but pound-foolish"!
They have (had?) a 2000A 15kV main switch from the utility feed that had a cable connection to a lineup of 100A distribution switches. Each distribution switch fed a 12.47kV-480V substation for various load zones. Each load zone had a 12.47kV geneset tapped in with a "T" connection to the primary of each sub.
The original fault was in one cable from the 2000A main to the main bus of the distribution switch lineup. It was a low level insulation fault that apparently arced and smoldered for some time before being cleared.
The major catastrophy was that in an effort that saved $2million in cable costs by going with 12.47kV gensets and T connections, they unfortunately stuffed all of these 15kV cables into the same duct bank, along with the feeder that failed, and of course it was on the bottom of the duct allowing the damage to spread upwards. So the relatively low cost failure of that one cable took out not only the entire
distribution system but also all of the backup systems as well!
The rumored total is that the outage has cost them $20 million so far.
You didn't hear it from me though ;-p
They have (had?) a 2000A 15kV main switch from the utility feed that had a cable connection to a lineup of 100A distribution switches. Each distribution switch fed a 12.47kV-480V substation for various load zones. Each load zone had a 12.47kV geneset tapped in with a "T" connection to the primary of each sub.
The original fault was in one cable from the 2000A main to the main bus of the distribution switch lineup. It was a low level insulation fault that apparently arced and smoldered for some time before being cleared.
The major catastrophy was that in an effort that saved $2million in cable costs by going with 12.47kV gensets and T connections, they unfortunately stuffed all of these 15kV cables into the same duct bank, along with the feeder that failed, and of course it was on the bottom of the duct allowing the damage to spread upwards. So the relatively low cost failure of that one cable took out not only the entire
distribution system but also all of the backup systems as well!
The rumored total is that the outage has cost them $20 million so far.
You didn't hear it from me though ;-p
"Venditori de oleum-vipera non vigere excordis populi"






RE: Las Vegas / Bellagio Hotel Power Failure
After all, it is las vegas. they probably thought the dice were loaded in their favor.
RE: Las Vegas / Bellagio Hotel Power Failure
The physical locations don't seem to make sense.
RE: Las Vegas / Bellagio Hotel Power Failure
I was recently at the the Bellagio. It is quite impressive. Most smart gamblers know you can loose even with loaded dice.
RE: Las Vegas / Bellagio Hotel Power Failure
RE: Las Vegas / Bellagio Hotel Power Failure
RE: Las Vegas / Bellagio Hotel Power Failure
Then they probably called every slot machine technician and tweaked them all a smidgen to pay for it all!
"Venditori de oleum-vipera non vigere excordis populi"
RE: Las Vegas / Bellagio Hotel Power Failure
RE: Las Vegas / Bellagio Hotel Power Failure
RE: Las Vegas / Bellagio Hotel Power Failure
RE: Las Vegas / Bellagio Hotel Power Failure
So it would depend on whether the local AHJ decided this was an "emergency" or a legally-required standby system.
My experience in Las Vegas has been that these huge casinos are so unique that they don't fall neatly into typically building categories and fire protection/life safety requirements are worked out through negotiations with local inspectors.
RE: Las Vegas / Bellagio Hotel Power Failure
RE: Las Vegas / Bellagio Hotel Power Failure
Off topic a little, but doesn’t one of the major clubs there have a switchyard with a 115- or 138-kV loop and a pair of ~60MVA transformers?
RE: Las Vegas / Bellagio Hotel Power Failure
RE: Las Vegas / Bellagio Hotel Power Failure
"Venditori de oleum-vipera non vigere excordis populi"
RE: Las Vegas / Bellagio Hotel Power Failure