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Could some explain technically what happens to transformers with a solar storm? Can they not be repaired in some manner?
by carsonreinke 12y ago
Could some explain technically what happens to transformers with a solar storm? Can they not be repaired in some manner?
- gone35 12y agoIt's not 100% clear yet and there might be other factors (eg gas leakages or harmonic-induced damages to relays), but it seems the main effect is rapid internal heating caused by stray magnetic flux leakages from the saturated core [1,2]. Hot spots beyond a certain threshold end up severely damaging internal components, rendering the transformer inoperable --or at best sharply reducing its operating lifetime [3]. Repairs in these cases pretty much entail retrofitting the whole damn thing, so the months-long disruption is all the same either way. [1] http://www.ferc.gov/industries/electric/indus-act/reliability/cybersecurity/ferc_meta-r-319.pdf http://www.ferc.gov/industries/electric/indus-act/reliabilit... [2] http://fas.org/irp/agency/dod/jason/spaceweather.pdf http://fas.org/irp/agency/dod/jason/spaceweather.pdf [3] http://www.lloyds.com/~/media/lloyds/reports/emerging%20risk%20reports/solar%20storm%20risk%20to%20the%20north%20american%20electric%20grid.pdf http://www.lloyds.com/~/media/lloyds/reports/emerging%20risk...
- snake_plissken 12y agoMy E&M is rusty but if I recall correctly, the electric field from the steam of charged particles will induce a voltage change in the transformer's wiring as the stream flows past/through the transformer, and as the transformer works by using a magnetic core to induce voltage changes from one coil to another coil, the voltage output is higher than the components on the output side can handle and the components get fried. I think.