Grid down, an engineering perspective

I saw this video some time ago.

The situation presented here is one of a grid overload, relatively easily fixed by 'load shedding', or switching off parts of the grid to bring the frequency back up, by reducing the loading. Its a completely different story when and EMP?CME has occurred and the whole grid is affected. Load shedding isn't going to help in any way, its failed but providing no major damage has been done, a 'black start' is necessary. Why would the grid be off ? The circuit protection equipment detected an issue and switched it off to save it from damage from, say a fallen high voltage line.

Black starts are exactly that, you start off with a generator in a power station, probably a series of large diesels. This enables you to get a fan running, to get a boiler lit, to raise steam, to get a turbine running, to get power flowing to another power station to get a bigger fan running to get a bigger boiler going, etc on up the line. Once you have some spinning reserve on line, you can start to re energize some feeders, initially probably to major cities, then to smaller regional areas and so on down to the rural areas last.

All of the above assumes that there has been no major damage to the grid. A few damaged high voltage transformers or computerized switches and the process stops dead.

Spare transformer, not likely at a cost of several million each, nor is it necessary in normal times to carry a spare as they are very reliable, and monitored 24/7 for overheating, oil breakdown etc, giving adequate warning of a breakdown and enabling a spare to be procured, or that one to be repaired on site. But, in a CME/EMP situation, all that is useless. A transformer operates on alternating current, or AC. In Australia its 50 cycles per second, the USA its 60. They are not designed for DC, and any DC offset will change the magnetization characteristic of the transformer and alter its efficiency and operation, certainly reducing its power handling capability and affecting its life.

When switching power supplies first made an appearance in appliances like TV sets in the early 70's, the supply authorities were worried about their effect on the grid, specifically transformers, as they draw power in a series of current pulses to charge the main capacitor. This approximates a DC waveform and can saturate a transformer well before its reached its maximum output, causing overheating and eventual failure. Better control electronics has overcome most of these issues, but it was still a topic of concern some years ago, and shows that Electrical Engineers realize the potential of DC on the power grid.

A CME/EMP is a series of pulses, approximating DC, as are the northern and southern lights when the Aurora Borealis events induced in power infrastructure in northern Canada etc. And they do have issues with induced currents in that country as it did on March 1989 in Quebec, Canada.

Here is a link to the mechanism that causes it if you are interested.

theconversation.com/a-large-solar-storm-could-knock-out-the-power-grid-and-the-internet-an-electrical-engineer-explains-how-177982

Finally, I will finish with a quote from the above link.

Just a matter of time

It is only a matter of time before the Earth is hit by another geomagnetic storm. A Carrington Event-size storm would be extremely damaging to the electrical and communication systems worldwide with outages lasting into the weeks. If the storm is the size of the Miyake Event, the results would be catastrophic for the world with potential outages lasting months if not longer. Even with space weather warnings from NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, the world would have only a few minutes to a few hours notice.







Nobody watches you harder than the people that don’t like you. Give them a show.

"Nuke EMP is a given one can destroy a countries economy, comms infrastructure, starts riots and major mayhem without directly killings any citizens of that country. Like in Gaza China is building underground cities and preparing for such an event. I have read many accounts of people seeing in vision planes falling our to the sky when EMP nukes go off. It has been calculated that 2 high altitude CME nukes would take out 90% of the USA. "

The perfect weapon, doesn't immediately kill, but causes mass panic which kills. Pleausable deniability, we didn't kill anyone with our nuke, you did it to yourself.

Got your backup comms organized ? Ham radio for those who can, UHF/HF CB for everyone else.

Can you get in contact with your family and get them to your BOL in such a situation ? Have u practiced it ?

Its an extension of your prepping to be ready energy wise. Almost all preppers seem to concentrate on Food and guns, but comms and comfort come into it as well.







Enjoy this moment of your life before it becomes a memory you wish you hadn’t taken for granted.

Having been involved with SCADA on the local Councils, its a system that is quite flexible, but if a sensor is faulty, it can be a pain to find which one and replace it.

And if more than one is faulty, such as happened when a 33kv line fell onto a 415 v and did some fireworks during a storm, getting the water plant back on line took a great deal of effort. Luckily, spares were available from Brisbane, so one of the ladies in the office drove there and picked them up. We had it operational in a couple of days, but it still took a week to reprogram the SCADA controller properly as the backup program was corrupted.

But in a total grid down situation, spares might not be available, then its plan B, flying and dosing with analogue gauges and calculations, assuming the backup generator is operational. Got your own water supply yet ? What about waste ?

The average person has no idea just what it takes to supply them with water, electric take their wastes away and so on. Take all that away and they will be in panic mode, especially when they get thirsty and hungry, possibly wet and cold as well.

Met some people who were prepared to bug out. Where ? Just away from danger. How do you know which direction danger is in ? God will tells us. I consider that to be blind faith, and not survival orientated at all. We have to do our bit and be sensible. Do you have the means to protect yourselves and car from marauders ? No, God will protect us. That's fine, but I'd be carrying a bang stick as well, just for backup. We don't believe in violence or guns.......Isn't that what the Jews said when they were being rounded up in WW2 ? Anyway, to each their own.




My backup plan is to run, FAST !!

Practicality.....



Its already been tested.





The biggest joke on mankind is that computers have started to ask humans to prove they are not a robot.

Hacking is a thing..  But look at Ukraine Russia has wasted thousands of cruise missiles, drones taking out the Ukrainian power supply (power stations, transformers etc..) especially just prior to winter.  

Governments do have a kill switch to disable all incoming internet traffic by switching of key servers and IP addressing systems.  Not sure what they have worked out for star link - I suppose the system sill uses the IP addressing system to deliver or connect to an address.  EV vehicles and lots of machinery can be remotely disabled.  As posted previously all the modern tractors that the Russians stole from Ukraine were remotely blocked.  

One or two high altitude nukes will seal the deal, but invoke a like response.  

One thing that makes no sense is the focus on EVs. As Spatial correctly stated, the tractors were remotely turned off. These were ICE vehicles, just like regular cars. It makes no difference at all what powers your engine. If it has remote comms, it can, and will be turned off when it suits the manufacturer.

You got a 'smart' house, phone, TV etc ?

One channel available, the Govt propaganda one, no choice.

Only allowed to communicate with immediate family members and 'approved' Govt agencies.

So easy now to control the populace and they don't even realize, like the slow boiling frog, when they wake up it will be too late.







Creating scapegoats does not solve the problem.

Yes they can. If no wifi, then Bluetooth and I've seen miniature satellite transceivers in a one inch sq package, including the aerial.

It is generally assumed that the technology we have access to now is actually ten years behind what the military, and elites have, so I fully expect they have miniature satellite transceivers even smaller now, possibly one chip solution disguised as a standard integrated circuit.

When I purchased the new lithium battery packs for the extra power systems here, I didn't get the comms package. Just as well !

It's good to be aware of these possibilities.






Oh no, not another learning experience !

I do have the free VAST TV channels in the radio room, not for general entertainment, but for the news.

I also watch the ABC 7 pm news via i view, as we have unlimited satellite internet, so its quick enough.

As for the so called 'entertainment' program's, they are mostly propaganda from the elites, bending thinking to their view of the world.

I used to be a Star Trek fan (Still like the old Star Trek from 20 + years ago), but even that's become so new worldish and unbelievable, its all rubbish now.






Science tells us how, the Bible tells us why.