Capacity limits are likely to be in local distribution overload and
not in the transmission lines. A transmission line carrying 4 times
its design rating could easily dissipate the extra power lost without
damage, but it would be totally uneconomic. In contrast, a
transformer carrying 4 times its rated capacity would explode.
Up-grading distribution transformers is very expensive these days.
I guess that the big problem lies with the original designs which
favored low initial cost. Having designed transformers for years,
I'll say that I can give you almost anything you want, for a given
output power, a small cheap transformer running at 60 percent
efficiency (blistering hot) or an fancy 95 percent one costing 10
times more and weighing 5 times as much. For power companies, they
simply make a tradeoff for their minimum total cost.
--rod
On Nov 12, 2009, at 11:39 AM, Les Schaffer wrote:
> S. Artesian wrote:
>> So Venezuela is losing an excessive amount of transmitted energy,
>> and is
>> running up against capacity limitations?
>>
>> Yes? No?
>
>
> yes, and so is at least Brazil, IF the losses are transmission losses
> and not "theft". am not yet convinced temperature explains non-theft
> losses. according to the IEA data, S. America overall is around the
> same
> efficiency as rest of world. so a contradictory portrait remains until
> better data is available. No?
>
> the quote on Seneca mentions installing 45k power measuring
> devices: not
> clear if this is to track down and eliminate transmission losses,
> or is
> neo-liberal/privatized attempt to track down energy "theft".
>
> Les
>
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