4 ms·

Thanks for the reply. In the 50Mhz-modulated-50Hz scenario, however, the modulated 50Hz signal doesn't change under load; it has zero inertia (or infinite inert

Thanks for the reply. In the 50Mhz-modulated-50Hz scenario, however, the modulated 50Hz signal doesn't change under load; it has zero inertia (or infinite inertia maybe) because it's electronically generated. Any individual station that gets out of sync either works hard to catch up, or gets disconnected. The problem, as I see it, is that the load signal is equal and equivalent to the sync signal and maybe they could be separated. (e.g. the FM modulated signal wouldn't have to be a sine wave, nor would it even have to be 50Hz) > what if two or more power stations see a low frequency grid and decide to ramp up more generators? Seems to me it would solve this problem - they both have a single invariant sync signal. > Connect a stopped, or sufficiently out of phase generator to a full scale power grid and the puny thousands of pounds of metal that make up a generator are going to get ripped apart Seems to me this problem is solvable with electronics, but I don't know enough to say how much out-of-phase is problematic. What if, as you say, some heavy load is switched on, the local nuclear turbines slow by a fraction for a few 10s of seconds, and so a home PV array starts leading by 0.01Hz (e.g. home PV at 50.00Hz, local power station at 49.99Hz, so after 10s the PV is fully 36º or 0.6rad ahead). Does this result in the inverter (or the small local windfarm) exploding? Is that a realistic scenario? > there needs to be more communication across the grid than just responding to the locally observed frequency Precisely - a grid-wide sync signal, modulated at high frequency.

justlikereddit 1y ago
You need to consider that a master clock signal transmitted through air will arrive at a different time than an AC power wave transmitted through a wire. A millisecond latency will cause a significant out of phase shift to the AC signal too. The AC data you want is already codified in the power signal
- tenthirtyam 1y ago
  > A millisecond latency will cause a significant out of phase shift to the AC signal too. Ooh, good point. But then, we have I think micro- or even nano-second clock sync over public internet now. Or use (reliable) GPS timestamps codified in the sync signal. > The AC data you want is already codified in the power signal You're right, but: > there needs to be more communication across the grid than just responding to the locally observed frequency Maybe large stations need a grid-wide sync signal that is independent of load, but small (e.g. domestic, community) suppliers just latch on the observed AC (which is easy for an inverter).

justlikereddit 1y ago

You need to consider that a master clock signal transmitted through air will arrive at a different time than an AC power wave transmitted through a wire. A millisecond latency will cause a significant out of phase shift to the AC signal too. The AC data you want is already codified in the power signal

tenthirtyam 1y ago
> A millisecond latency will cause a significant out of phase shift to the AC signal too. Ooh, good point. But then, we have I think micro- or even nano-second clock sync over public internet now. Or use (reliable) GPS timestamps codified in the sync signal. > The AC data you want is already codified in the power signal You're right, but: > there needs to be more communication across the grid than just responding to the locally observed frequency Maybe large stations need a grid-wide sync signal that is independent of load, but small (e.g. domestic, community) suppliers just latch on the observed AC (which is easy for an inverter).