Tim Horton
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Post by Tim Horton on May 27, 2022 4:07:33 GMT 10
OK... This third hand info, and to me quite far out there...
Supposedly if the UK postal system goes on strike, some are thinking there will be wide spread power blackouts and other power disruptions across the country.. Near as I can tell from lack of dependable parts delivery to keep the systems running being the issue..
Can't help being a wise cracker here, but how do you get a replacement transformer in the mail box to get it sent where needed ??
There obviously has to be more to this I don't know or can find..
Frostbite.... Insights from being a system insider as it were ??
Facts, details, rumors, opinions ??
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Post by Stealth on May 27, 2022 18:15:17 GMT 10
I don't know if that's possible. If it is, yikes! Sounds like even the power system's reliance on JoT delivery is out of hand. I don't know how long it'd last though, the UK isn't that large. Surely it wouldn't be that difficult to get a truck from one side of the kingdom to another in an emergency situation. I wonder how much of the problem would actually stem in getting those parts from overseas to the UK rather than specifically internally.
But then I've also heard that Royal Mail is absolute trash so who knows! Can't be any worse than Australia Post.😅
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bug
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Post by bug on May 28, 2022 17:32:53 GMT 10
OK... This third hand info, and to me quite far out there... Supposedly if the UK postal system goes on strike, some are thinking there will be wide spread power blackouts and other power disruptions across the country.. Near as I can tell from lack of dependable parts delivery to keep the systems running being the issue.. Can't help being a wise cracker here, but how do you get a replacement transformer in the mail box to get it sent where needed ?? There obviously has to be more to this I don't know or can find.. Frostbite.... Insights from being a system insider as it were ?? Facts, details, rumors, opinions ?? The parts for major electrical infrastructure does not get delivered by 'the post'. Spares are kept for all major items. I'd say enough for about 2-3 years of no imports being available. What would throw this all in the bin is a coronal mass ejection wiping out a large proportion of electrical plant and the factories producing that stuff also being blacked out. This kind of thing would take a decade to recover from. |
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Post by Joey on May 28, 2022 18:25:06 GMT 10
I wouldn't put too much weight into the clickbait titles, as the train unions are also threatening strike action, and the papers are using the same headline for that "rail strike will cause mass blackouts"
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malewithatail
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Location: Northern Rivers NSW
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Post by malewithatail on May 28, 2022 18:56:10 GMT 10
Unfortunately, the drive for greater profits over the last 20 years has seen the number of spares for the distribution system reduced, even to the extent of one transformer being stocked only. Spare parts take up space and need looking after. The reasoning is that only one county council will need it at a time if theirs goes bad, but after an EMP, everyone will need replacing, so who gets the one spare ?
And these transformers can weigh over 300 tonnes, and cost millions of dollars. Just in time delivery ? B/S wont happen. Be prepared with your own off grid systems that can sustain you for an extended period. And also be aware of OPSPEC in relation to stray lights etc. Dont be a target if you are the only house in the street that has lights on. Ditto with a generator, the noise will attract attention in a urban environment, another reason to get out of Dodge before it happens.
I spilled spot remover on my dog, and now he's gone !
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bug
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Post by bug on May 28, 2022 19:10:36 GMT 10
Unfortunately, the drive for greater profits over the last 20 years has seen the number of spares for the distribution system reduced, even to the extent of one transformer being stocked only. Spare parts take up space and need looking after. The reasoning is that only one county council will need it at a time if theirs goes bad, but after an EMP, everyone will need replacing, so who gets the one spare ? And these transformers can weigh over 300 tonnes, and cost millions of dollars. Just in time delivery ? B/S wont happen. Be prepared with your own off grid systems that can sustain you for an extended period. And also be aware of OPSPEC in relation to stray lights etc. Dont be a target if you are the only house in the street that has lights on. Ditto with a generator, the noise will attract attention in a urban environment, another reason to get out of Dodge before it happens. I spilled spot remover on my dog, and now he's gone ! Correct. Transformers are the worst item for this. The supply chain just to build one is huge. Lots of specialist materials from various countries. Also very susceptible to magnetic field change. Surge arresters will not protect them from an EMP. Only way to 'maybe' protect is to disconnect the cables to them. This requires shutting down the entire electricity grid and then to do this for every transformer would take weeks. Not in a planned manner either, just every single bucket truck out there with anyone capable, unbolting things. It still may not be enough to protect the transformers. The flashovers on cables may mean that there's not much worth connecting them back to anyway. |
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Tim Horton
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Post by Tim Horton on May 30, 2022 4:38:22 GMT 10
Same headline for ...fill in the blank... will cause outages... I suspect that is what it took to ...sell papers... as the old saying goes that day...
Also the transformer crack was that I can see our garbage can size transformer from the window.. Several years ago it went bad and had to be replaced... I do realize transformers can be the size of a semi truck, depending on the application..
Your right... JIT delivery is a thing of the past it seems as availability of parts is an issue... When the bean counters ditch having a spare mega $ circuit board the size of a sheet of paper on hand because it makes the current cash sheet look better.. There can be consequences... But not there fault is all that matters.. Don't get me started...
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bug
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Post by bug on May 30, 2022 10:03:11 GMT 10
The other thing is that the large transformers you see in substations are all different. Even if they are the same voltage, say 132/33kV, you need a purpose designed and built one to replace it. The spare doesn't always fit. This can be accommodated in an emergency, but when there are 100 other big transformers also damaged, if it doesn't fit easily, you aren't getting one.
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