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82 comments on Gas Emergency Looms

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Magnus Redin on March 14, 2006 - 6:13pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Why would extreme cold be a problem for power lines? As far as I know it mostly means that you can load them more due to better cooling.

I know that salt spray along sea costs can be a problem and ice buildup in humid slightly below freezing conditions but please explain the problem with cold weather.

Sweden will be ok as long as we get a few good summer months with a reasonable growing season. Wonder if a shut down gulf stream would get us wishing for more greenhouse gasses?

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Gets IT on March 14, 2006 - 7:07pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Supposedly it is the weight of ice and the increased wind drag.  Maybe the cold temps contract the lines reducing the catenary and increase the stress too.  Don't know.  During 1963 or 6 there was apparenty massive power outages in the UK due to downed power lines.  Off hand, I would expect icing to be a greater problem for the UK than Sweden.  Or, perhaps the reporter got the hiV lines confused with falling tree damage to local lines.  The problem is expected to be much worse simply because of the amount of lines that have been added since then.  I have no personal experience, so I'm just taking the report I heard at face value.  It was on BBC sometime last year.  Maybe we can search for it if needed.
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82 comments on Gas Emergency Looms

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