NSA's electrical power problems

[fgentges at mindspring.com]

The power grid has been designed for resistive loads with some inductive 
loads.  This has worked for decades and design margins were evolved as 
being adequate.

Now we have all these power supplies which rectify the AC through diodes 
into large capacitors.  Here we have the major current near the peak 
voltage and then not much for the rest of the cycle.  We have these in 
our houses, businesses etc. and it is superimposed on the more 
traditional loads so the current is still pretty much across the cycle.

With these huge data centers, the load is much more of the peak current 
type with our modern power supplies.  Many thousands of these power 
supplies connected to the grid now create a troublesome load.  This 
article suggests that the breakers may not be up to handling this newer 
kind of load.

When they try to open a circuit under this kind of load they draw arcs 
they were never tested for and all hell breaks loose.  Large arcs ensue 
that cannot extinguish as they were planned and designed.  When your 
circuit breakers cannot break the circuit, you have a huge problem.

These circuits are on a very large scale and old rule of thumb design 
margins do not prove adequate here.  We shall wait to hear from the 
assembled experts to declare what the problem is.

Frank K0BRA



On 10/17/13 10:39 PM, Richard O'Neill wrote:
> On 10/17/2013 10:07 PM, Andre Kesteloot wrote:
>> nsa-data-center-electrical-problems-arent-that-shocking
>
>  That report brings to mind this video. =-O 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUOtc22XH_U
>
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