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- posted
11 years ago
Manhattan electrical substation explosion
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11 years ago
...
Don't know as ConEd has had time to worry about the "why" yet but it was a transformer explosion. Possible causes are water penetration caused an internal insulation failure or it's possible wind caused a load short that overloaded it. If had to guess I'd expect the latter probably.
Transformer failures of such a sort are a common event during tornadoes out here--it's one of the easiest ways to see progress across a developed area after dark, often, in fact by watching the chain of transformer flashes.
There it generally is that the high wind causes load-carrying line phases to touch and the result is a rapid overload subsequent transformer failure. The difference here is that this was a substation large transformer instead of line pole-mounted one so when the substation went, so did a large area...
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11 years ago
If anyone sees information on what actually happened a link would be appreciated.
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11 years ago
What happens is that those god damn stupid ass fools that run the power company made a decision to NOT cut power to major distribution / step-down transformers. And because they didn't cut the power, they set up the situation whereby those transformers and other gear was allowed to fry itself into a giant fireball when the flood waters, lightning, wind (etc) dammaged the physical plant that they feed into.
Same goes for not cutting off major natural-gas valves.
In Hoboken, a hundred homes burned to their foundations because of some sort of massive file.
Tell me - how the hell do you get a fire going (and keep it going) during a massive rain-drenched hurricane?
Maybe if you're dumb enough to keep feeding it with natural gas and live electricity?
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11 years ago
Why didn't they de-energize them *before* they dammaged themselves by blowing up?
Why didn't they de-energize the system an hour or so before the main brunt of the hurricane came ashore?
Stupid asses.
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11 years ago
On 11/1/2012 8:23 AM, Home Guy wrote: ...
Amongst other reasons because the system is tied to a much larger one and there are many reasons to try to keep power as long as possible to as much of the service area as possible...
Presicence of which particular substation transformer might fail isn't yet built in.
This poster here is the only one of those I see in the thread... :(
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11 years ago
It starts INSIDE where it is dry you effing moron! ONce started in dthat wind is all it takes.
Harry K