Comments on: Europe Considers The Benefits Of Going To DC Power Grid http://www.blog.thesietch.org/2007/07/30/europe-considers-the-benefits-of-going-to-dc-power-grid/ The voice of The Sietch community Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:01:32 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Europe Now Thinks Edison May Have Been Right http://www.blog.thesietch.org/2007/07/30/europe-considers-the-benefits-of-going-to-dc-power-grid/comment-page-1/#comment-69369 Europe Now Thinks Edison May Have Been Right Wed, 01 Aug 2007 05:10:48 +0000 http://www.blog.thesietch.org/2007/07/30/europe-considers-the-benefits-of-going-to-dc-power-grid/#comment-69369 [...] to The Sietch, Europe is considering switching to DC for long distance power transmission, as part of a means to integrate wind farms into the grid. The windy places in our world are often [...] [...] to The Sietch, Europe is considering switching to DC for long distance power transmission, as part of a means to integrate wind farms into the grid. The windy places in our world are often [...]

]]> By: The Naib http://www.blog.thesietch.org/2007/07/30/europe-considers-the-benefits-of-going-to-dc-power-grid/comment-page-1/#comment-69063 The Naib Tue, 31 Jul 2007 01:46:00 +0000 http://www.blog.thesietch.org/2007/07/30/europe-considers-the-benefits-of-going-to-dc-power-grid/#comment-69063 Simon: Find your answer <a href="http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070722071916AAqggSd" rel="nofollow">here</a> Lyallp: I am not confused. You can build a wind turbine to produce AC or DC. It is a matter of how you build the generator. I have installed both <a href="http://www.ieee.org/web/emergingtech/discourses/windpower/windpower_technology.html" rel="nofollow">DC and AC</a> wind turbines. If you want just do battery charging, or DC off grid applications (like the stuff they make for RV's) you get the DC kind, if you want to grid inter-tie them you get the AC kind or the DC with a inverter (converts DC to AC). Ask any electrical engineer and they will tell you that there are definite advantages to going DC over long distances. Simon: Find your answer here

Lyallp: I am not confused. You can build a wind turbine to produce AC or DC. It is a matter of how you build the generator. I have installed both DC and AC wind turbines. If you want just do battery charging, or DC off grid applications (like the stuff they make for RV’s) you get the DC kind, if you want to grid inter-tie them you get the AC kind or the DC with a inverter (converts DC to AC). Ask any electrical engineer and they will tell you that there are definite advantages to going DC over long distances.

]]> By: lyallp http://www.blog.thesietch.org/2007/07/30/europe-considers-the-benefits-of-going-to-dc-power-grid/comment-page-1/#comment-69055 lyallp Tue, 31 Jul 2007 01:19:13 +0000 http://www.blog.thesietch.org/2007/07/30/europe-considers-the-benefits-of-going-to-dc-power-grid/#comment-69055 It sounds to me like the author has got DC and AC all mixed up. Or they can't tell a Solar Panel (which does generate DC) from a Wind Generator (which generates AC - http://www.absak.com/basic/wind-power.html) Refer to Ohms Law (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohm's_law) resistance is a function of voltage - transforming electricity up and down in voltages is easily achieved with AC using transformers (invented by Tesla) This is why AC beat DC - AC had LESS loss because AC was transformed to high voltages, thus reducing resistance of the transmission cables. It sounds to me like the author has got DC and AC all mixed up. Or they can’t tell a Solar Panel (which does generate DC) from a Wind Generator (which generates AC – http://www.absak.com/basic/wind-power.html)

Refer to Ohms Law (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohm’s_law) resistance is a function of voltage – transforming electricity up and down in voltages is easily achieved with AC using transformers (invented by Tesla)
This is why AC beat DC – AC had LESS loss because AC was transformed to high voltages, thus reducing resistance of the transmission cables.

]]> By: SimonTeW http://www.blog.thesietch.org/2007/07/30/europe-considers-the-benefits-of-going-to-dc-power-grid/comment-page-1/#comment-69053 SimonTeW Tue, 31 Jul 2007 01:08:01 +0000 http://www.blog.thesietch.org/2007/07/30/europe-considers-the-benefits-of-going-to-dc-power-grid/#comment-69053 Why exactly is DC transmission better over longer distances than AC, while AC is better at short distances? You mention that AC wants to go to ground much more than DC does. Why is that? I thought the advantage of AC was that the alternating voltage reduces the ionization of the air around high voltage power lines, thereby reducing losses, when compared to DC. Why exactly is DC transmission better over longer distances than AC, while AC is better at short distances? You mention that AC wants to go to ground much more than DC does. Why is that? I thought the advantage of AC was that the alternating voltage reduces the ionization of the air around high voltage power lines, thereby reducing losses, when compared to DC.

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