Early Days of the Power Grid 3

[Mbrooke]

How did the power grid function in early 1900s by not being interconnected? How well did generation, such as a hydroelectric facility survive faults? Was step distance relaying or differential used on transmission feeders?

 

[Mbrooke]

Protections engineers had it easy back then.

 

[prc]

Early AC power distribution as per my records:

1)1883-Secondary generators (name for transformers at that time) were used in the first alternating current distribution system to light a 12 kM section of the London Underground

2)1884-Italy, Torino-Lanzo Railway line was provided with electric lighting. 2 kV 133 HZ AC generator supplied current to the farthest lamp at 40 KM away

3)1885-, May – First use of transformers: Industrial Exhibition, Budapest:- Steam engine driven 100 HZ AC Generator feed 1350 Volts electric lines to light the town with 1067 Edison incandescent lamps connected in parallel to the 60 V terminals of transformers (12 Nos. 5 kVA shell type 1400 / 65 V and 4 Nos. 7.5 kVA core type 1400/ 65V transformers were used ). Apply patent for the invention of transformer; first time the word transformer (From Latin) (Transzformator in Hungarian) was used. Describes shell type and core type constructions of transformers. Out of these early transformers, only one is remaining at Ford Museum (Earlier Edison Institute) at Dearborn (Detroit) USA.

4)1889--First US AC hydro power plant at Willamete Falls Electric Co ,Oregon ; 23 kM line to Portland for arc lighting.

5)1886, May - AC hydro power plant at Thorenberg, near Lucerne in Switzerland was commissioned. 1.8 kV single phase for 4.8 KMs.Stepped down to 100 V to illuminate hotels and restaurants in down town areas of the city.

6)1891-24 August - AEG commissioned first successful long distance, electric power transmission in Germany, with 3 phase AC - Lauffen Hydro Power Station on Neckar river to Frankfurt. Transmission Line was at 15 kV 175 km (100 miles) long.300 HP 3 phase dynamos generated power and 100 HP 3 phase induction motor driving a pump for an artificial waterfall at the International Electrical Exposition at Frankfurt )Transformers ,supplied by Oerlikon and AEG , were of 3 phase 3 leg design and oil filled type.
--Ganz supplies first AC long distance transmission line of 30 KM at 5 kV in Italy , connecting Trivoli Hydro power ( 6 Generators of 200 kW at 42 Hz) to Rome to light the city through 32 numbers 30 kW 5/2 kV 42 Hz single phase transformers

-First single phase AC line in Telluride, Colorado, America – 3 kV, 4 KM line from two water falls to an Ore Mill. 100 HP Generator and 100 HP Motor were used at sending and receiving ends.

6)1891-World’s first industrial AC system. Ames Hydro Electric Generating Plant, Near Ophir, Colorado. Westinghouse Electric built it in 1890, using their 100 HP single phase AC alternators, one at generator house – 3 KV 133 Hz alternator driven by a 6 foot Pelton wheel under 98 metres of water head fed through 2 feet dia steel pipe- and other at mountain top for a mine as a motor. Power transmitted through a 4.2 kM ( 3 miles) using two copper wires, costing USD 700, at 1 % of cost if it were DC. At mine, alternator was run as a synchronous AC motor to drive the stamping mill. A small AC induction motor used as a starter motor to spin the large alternator to synchronous speed. Energized on 19 June, 1891. In 1896 changed to 3 phase using 3 phase generators and induction motors with step up transformers to boost voltage to 10 kV for long distance transmission.

 

[Mbrooke]

Interesting you bring up Frankfurt and 15kv... this might be part of the original system. For historic purposes:

.................

 

[cuky2000]

Also in 1886, William Stanley, financed by Westinghouse built an AC power demonstration project in in Great Barrington, Massachusetts with a Siemens generator, light bulbs from Edison and the acquisition of the rights of the Gaulard and Gibbs transformer.
The demonstration project operated at 133.33 Hz, 25 HP, single phase, 500V/100V, with 4,000 ft line.
The following year, Nikola Tesla join Westinghouse and filed for seven U.S. patents in the field of polyphase AC motors and power transmission.

 

[prc]

As per my records:
1886-Siemens alternator (AC) –Single phase 12A 500 V (ie 6 KVA) Using 6 transformers in parallel (1 KW 500/200 V) William Stanley distributed power at Barrington, Massachusetts for lighting houses. (Ref:AIEE 1942 F Bedell -History of AC wave forms)

 

[Mbrooke]

I'd give anything for a time machine lol. And to stop in the 50/60s to see all the ungrounded delta distribution still in existence.

 

[waross]

A lot of it was 2400 Volts. I remember when our town converted from 2400 Volts delta to 4160 Volts wye. That was in the late 50s.


Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

 

[Mbrooke]

Yup, 2400 or 4,800- a lot stayed delta though. 12kv, 13.8kv, 22kv, 26.4kv, 27.6kv or 33kv subtransmission. Often times two 22kv circuit on one pole, and a half dozen 4kv circuits underneath lol. A lot of the subtransmission also started of as ungrounded delta. There was even two phase in some parts of the country and Scott T connections.

 

[waross]

Yup, 2400 or 4,800-

A lot went 2400 delta to 2400 x 1.72, 4160 star.
One extra wire that didn't need expensive insulators, the same transformers with one lead reconnected and a quick 73% increase in capacity.

Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

 

[Mbrooke]

Yup- true. And a lot of sub-transmission went to wye, got a 4th wire, and became the standard distribution voltage for many utilities.

 

[waross]

Our town had its own electrical department. The ultimate authority was the line crew foremen who answered to the town manager.
He was also one of our scout leaders. He gave me an old Moloney 5 KVA pole pig. It was close to end of life and they didn't want to trust it on the 4160 circuits. No enamel insulation when it was made. The windings were bare copper wire insulated with wound cotton thread.
I used part of the core to make a repulsion coil. Popular Mechanics said to use a machined aluminum disk for the floating element. Ya, sure, what kid had the resources to have one of those made back then? I used multiple turns of bare copper and it worked great.
The name plate from the old pig stayed with me for 30 or more years.

Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

 

[Mbrooke]

Where they PCBs in the oil by chance?

 

[waross]

I am pretty sure that it was straight oil.
When were PCBs first used in transformers?

Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

 

[Bill West]

The oldest mentions of PCBs I recollect seeing were in the late 20s/early '30s. Just for indoor stations, stopped the indoor explosions/fires that had occasionally happened with much disruption to city center services. I don't recollect seeing PCBs in outdoor service just cross contamination from using the same oil treatment equipment.

Bill

 

[DM61850]

I always got a kick out of SWER. They used to do it in the U.S. but I think that all went away with farmers blaming and maybe correctly that their milk production dropped due the cows being agitated by stray voltage. I don't think SWER is used in the U.S. but last I checked it was still being used in rural parts of australia. I still think that it has its place but it is probably too much of an annoyance to a utility, who is paid a fixed rate of return on capital investment to bother. They only reduce their revenue by trying to save money on having a return wire.

 

[waross]

They used to do it in the U.S. but I think that all went away with farmers blaming and maybe correctly that their milk production dropped due the cows being agitated by stray voltage.

I agree, sort of.
It is accepted that very small stray voltages on watering systems inhibit cattle from drinking.
Large drops in milk production have been directly linked to stray voltages on watering systems.
BUT
The stray voltages almost always are the result of local low voltage wiring systems.
By that I mean the 120/240 Volt on farm wiring system.
Similarly, stray voltages on the watering system will prevent beef cattle from gaining weight.
I live in Alberta, the largest cattle producing and exporting province in Canada.
We have about 1.6 million beef critters.
I am looking out the window at my incoming Single Wire Earth Return supply to my transformer.
SWER is common over much of southern Alberta.
Farmers are a powerful political force here.
There is much research into all aspects of beef production by both the federal and provincial governments.
If SWER was causing problems it would be gone.
On the other hand, the underground cable to my stock waterer has failed. That means that the heaters are inoperative and the lines have frozen.
Many of the stock wateres in Alberta are installed by owners with little or no electrical training.
I come across:
Cables not approved for direct burial.
Direct buried splices that are just taped with electricians tape.
Confused connections and grounding.
Stray electricity is a problem but it has nothing to do with SWER.

Inappropriate types of Last year the deep frost didn't leave the ground until May.


Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

 

[DM61850]

The other cute setup from the early grid that I really liked was the Scott-T transformer. Scott of Westinghouse came up with the transformer on the fly to get three phase power to Buffalo from the two phase generators by Niagara Falls. I don't think many would have come up with that solution quickly.

Some of the ways that old relaying did negative sequence operations with passive components was in my opinion kind of cute as well. Before seeing a schematic, I was expecting to see a small motor used to determine the amount of negative sequence present. Nope. They did it with all passive components.

It had to have been amazing researching and implementing the foundations of the electric grid. I have a years of service keychain with a diamond on it from Westinghouse. The person who was given it would have started working at Westinghouse around the very early 1900s. It must have been amazing see all the changes that the company and industry were bringing to the public from 1900-1960. The computer and internet revolution in my opinion pales against how things changed with electrification. Amazing times. Those engineers had to have had a very deep understanding of the grid.

 

[Bill West]

One of the things Westinghouse did in the 1900-1915 era (and presumably GE too) was to set up technical night schools. The Company had a great need for technicians and & engineers while many very capable young fellows didn't have the resources to be able to get a degree first and a job second. Having your classroom next to your office next to the factory floor was probably a very effective teaching method. The go forward attitude of the young workers is something more of our youth today should appreciate.

Bill

 

[cuky2000]

In 1890's was invented by a Westinghouse engineer Charles F. Scott and used in the Niagara Water Falls project in 1895.

I do remember seeing in operation a Scott-T connection in the distribution system of my old town during my early days of college. As EE student, I was fascinated by how deriving from three-phase 3-120⁰ in a two-phase electrical system 2-90⁰ phase rotation or vice versa by using two single-phase transformers.

Another interesting development in the early years of the expansion of electric power was the synchronous or rotary converter that allowed ac power systems to actually support their old rival systems during the decline and eventual extinction of dc power systems.

 

[waross]

The Tee connection was also used for three phase to three phase.
In the early 70s, I saw quite a few 480:120-208 Volt tee transformers generally about 25 to 37.5 KVA, supporting a 100 Amp lighting panel.
I've asked before;
Does anyone know the advantages and disadvantages of a three phase to three phase tee transformer?

Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter