3 ms·
It is true that the solar flare will induce current in any exposed wire. However the following factors increase the current. The length of the wire, the thick
by btilly 7y ago
It is true that the solar flare will induce current in any exposed wire. However the following factors increase the current. The length of the wire, the thicker the wire, how poorly insulated it is, and the stronger the magnetic surges caused by the flare.
Long distance transmission lines are very long, fairly thick, and very exposed. The result is that the surges that they experience are several orders of magnitude stronger than, say, inside of your washing machine or a transformer unconnected to the wire. That surge doesn't hurt the wire, but it can blow the transformer when it hits it.
And hence the problem is mostly in blown transformers. If you have other transformers on hand, you swap them in and most of the system should be up.
- makomk 7y agoI can see a couple of rather obvious problem with this. The electrical grid is, well, connected - the long, high-voltage sections are connected to the lower voltage sections which are connected to the even lower voltage sections. Those connections are through transformers, but if the surge is big enough to destroy even the largest transformers what's to stop it from blowing through all of the transformers and frying the delicate low-voltage control electronics of every grid connected device, including ones critical to operating the grid and power plants? Also, smaller devices are naturally going to be a lot more sensitive than huge transformers, so even if they don't experience the same level of voltage and current this could still be enough to destroy them.
- asperous 7y agoSurge protectors