How do Electric Transmission Lines Work?

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  • čas přidán 23. 09. 2019
  • Discussing some of the fascinating engineering that goes into overhead electric power transmission lines.
    In the past, power generating plants were only able to serve their local areas. As power plants grew larger and further away from populated areas, the need for ways to efficiently move electricity over long distances has become more and more important. Stringing power lines across the landscape to connect cities to power plants may seem as simple as connecting an extension cord to an outlet, but the engineering behind these electric superhighways is more complicated and fascinating than you might think.
    Watch this video and the entire Practical Engineering catalog ad-free on Nebula: go.nebula.tv/practical-engine...
    -Patreon: / practicalengineering
    -Website: practical.engineering
    Writing/Editing/Production: Grady Hillhouse
    Tonic and Energy by Elexive is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License
    Source: • Elexive - Tonic and En...
    This video is sponsored by Hello Fresh.

Komentáře • 2K

  • @MrSmeagolsGhost
    @MrSmeagolsGhost Před 4 lety +2697

    *Leave work designing power lines and see CZcams notification. *
    Ooooh.
    *video is literally work*
    *watches anyway*

    • @Foltran11
      @Foltran11 Před 4 lety +82

      S g i just watched it drinking coffee before a power systems class. awesome

    • @chrimony
      @chrimony Před 4 lety +39

      Aren't they already designed? What's new?

    • @jmonsted
      @jmonsted Před 4 lety +59

      It's always fun to watch people misunderstand your work... and in a few cases get it right :)

    • @dickJohnsonpeter
      @dickJohnsonpeter Před 4 lety +13

      I thought they already designed power lines; where is there room for innovation in power line design?

    • @andrewv5104
      @andrewv5104 Před 4 lety +24

      Being a civil engineer I appreciate these videos.

  • @pieguy6992
    @pieguy6992 Před 4 lety +533

    We need more CZcamsrs like you.
    1. No BS; cuts to the point
    2. Intelligent
    3. Informative videos
    4. Videos are easy to understand, yet supply the viewer with significant information
    5. Doesn’t clutter the videos with ads
    6. Doesn’t ramble on about the sponsor at the 1 minute mark until the 3 minute mark

  • @Hexlattice
    @Hexlattice Před 4 lety +47

    Dude. That demonstration with the tiny wires was AWESOME.

  • @jacktorborg9862
    @jacktorborg9862 Před 4 lety +64

    Being a mechanical (civil, mechanical degree) engineer, and having been through Physics 2 and circuits classes in college, I've never seen power lines and voltage steps explained in this easy of a way. This channel always manages to teach me something cool and interesting, and I'm always surprised at how nicely these videos are put together. You would make a great college professor!

    • @nate2838
      @nate2838 Před rokem +2

      He can't be a college professor. He's too efficient. They wouldn't be able to charge you a semester per course. He'd teach a semester in a month!
      His ability to make "complicated" things simple is incredible.

    • @Curt_Sampson
      @Curt_Sampson Před rokem +1

      So you're really a mechanical and civil engineer? It must be nice! You can build both weapons _and_ targets!

  • @Lexarf0rk
    @Lexarf0rk Před 4 lety +564

    I am a Transmission and Distribution Civil Engineer, I shared this video with my coworkers. They all appreciated the video! I would have enjoyed if you integrated the difference in dead end and tangent structures. Still a very well done video.

    • @xierxu
      @xierxu Před 4 lety +9

      Hire me. I need experience.

    • @Awave3
      @Awave3 Před 4 lety +12

      Please enlighten me. What might be the best major/minor to get that position? I'm looking at a combination of Civil and Electrical Engineering, but for designing towers some professors have suggested Mechanical Engineering as well. Our transmission infrastructure is outdated and under-appreciated. I will see to it that a little creativity will go a long way to modernize the technology and improve the _A E S T H E T I C S_

    • @comradefernandomandrake5822
      @comradefernandomandrake5822 Před 4 lety +15

      Electrical and structural engineering would be your best choices.

    • @Lexarf0rk
      @Lexarf0rk Před 4 lety +20

      Awave3 at the firm I currently work for, we split Transmission and Distribution design into several sub-disciplines. We have geotechnical engineers that do the foundation design. Structural engineers primarily analyze existing lattice structures to see if they are still in good shape or not. Not as many lattice towers are build these days because they can become very complex. Some civil engineers also help with the foundation design of the substation layout and grading plans, but most of us civil engineers design steel concrete and wooden poles as well as the sag/tension designs of the conductors to ensure they meet clearance requirements. We also have a fair number of structural engineers that go my route as well. All of the electrical engineers design the substations and phasing of the new conductors. I’ll be honest, out of all the disciplines I just listed, electrical is by far the one I know the least about.
      I do feel like knowing electrical would help give you a better understanding of why designs are the way they are. Us civil engineers just follow the specs that the electrical guys designate. All we do is hold up the wire basically.

    • @jovetj
      @jovetj Před 4 lety +1

      In my experience as a complete novice but power line gawker, I would identify a third type of structure: the deflection structure. Robust lattice designs do not need special structures where the line changes direction, but other designs (such as steel poles) may, and a change in direction often does not have dead ends.

  • @Orbis92
    @Orbis92 Před 4 lety +1199

    Probably the most educational use of two microwave death trap transformers I've seen so far :)

    • @cezarcatalin1406
      @cezarcatalin1406 Před 4 lety +137

      Orbis92
      ElectroBOOM is crying in a corner...

    • @galfisk
      @galfisk Před 4 lety +99

      At least he's not dying in a corner.

    • @Shadowbird92
      @Shadowbird92 Před 4 lety +9

      I personally prefer to burn wood with them haha

    • @sambobman1
      @sambobman1 Před 4 lety +4

      What is the location in that photo at 3:50?

    • @JonnyD3ath
      @JonnyD3ath Před 4 lety +1

      Sam Hoover dam, Arizona USA

  • @Emerson-px5lp
    @Emerson-px5lp Před 4 lety +35

    As a 41 yr old electrician that is always wanting to learn more i really appreciate this video. Being able to simply brake down complex information is a gift. Keep up the good work

  • @alexbean1905
    @alexbean1905 Před 4 lety +54

    "This lost power is pretty easy to calculate, if you're willing to do a little algebra (which I always am)"
    This is why I love this channel.

    • @Rockstone1969
      @Rockstone1969 Před 4 lety +5

      Kirchhoff is the easy simplification… try from Maxwells equations… :-)

    • @answerman9933
      @answerman9933 Před 11 měsíci

      But Ohm's Law dos not require algebra, just arithmetic.

  • @thenerdnetwork
    @thenerdnetwork Před 4 lety +553

    At 6:14 You say that the wires on top are to protect against lightning strikes, while this is correct, in recent times the company who owns the transmission lines will actually install OPGWs (fiber optics). As you can imagine these transmission lines travel vast distances, so the transmission company can lease dark fibers (no service on the line, but a communications company can cross connect through that fiber to maximize their route miles of fiber to connect to other cities). If you ever are driving out in a rural area, and cross near a transmission tower that is accessible from the road, you may see the ground wires at the top coming down to a lower point on the tower, coiled up, with a silver case in the middle, this is a fiber splice case for OPGWs. These splice cases are spaced out under 7,000 feet apart.
    This is such a genius idea, just to help give our country that over the top internet capacity by utilizing our power transmission grid. While the fiber doesnt go directly to an average consumer, it does provide incredible amounts of bandwidth to upstream providers such as primarily Level 3 and others like Verizon, AT&T, Comcast, and Cogent.
    I went a little too far into detail, but why not I guess!
    Cool video tho :D

    • @kaitlyn__L
      @kaitlyn__L Před 4 lety +12

      I see Cogent every time I run a traceroute. Guess they own the backhaul in my nearish area once it leaves my ISP's rented ISP, from the line maintenance company (Openreach). I think Openreach own a lot of the UK trunk line structure too, so I guess Cogent is after it leaves the island, especially since most UK servers for big companies are actually hosted in Ireland, and I don't think they have Openreach in the Republic.

    • @jovetj
      @jovetj Před 4 lety +15

      _“you may see the ground wires at the top coming down to a lower point on the tower, coiled up, with a silver case in the middle, this is a fiber splice case for OPGWs”_
      I have always wondered what that was! And it never occurred to me it was a kind of fiber splice! (DUHHH! in hindsight). Thanks!

    • @allgoals1325
      @allgoals1325 Před 4 lety +9

      @thenerdnetwork
      If lightning wires are being replaced with optic fibres cables the phases are not protected anymore?
      Or are this optic fibres being placed next to the lightning cable but then the optic would get burned if a light struck?

    • @jovetj
      @jovetj Před 4 lety +22

      *@All Goals*
      The fiber optic fibers are usually embedded in the middle of the stranded shield wire. The shield wire still does the same job, just the fiber is along for the ride.

    • @thenerdnetwork
      @thenerdnetwork Před 4 lety +9

      @@allgoals1325 Here is what OPGW looks: teletechnonet.com/en/products/networking/fibra-optica/optical-fiber-composite-ground-wire-opgw
      So nothing gets burned in case of a lightning strike. But yea, the guy who responded was correct, optical ground wire does the same job, but carries high speed communications cables that are naturally 100% immune to electrical interference (glass is not not a conductor but rather an insulator).
      Essentially the fiber optic strands provide optics (the end point laser beams) a conduit from 1 point to another, travelling at the speed of light. Its pretty neat stuff.

  • @CasuallyPlayinGames
    @CasuallyPlayinGames Před 4 lety +1373

    Loved the hair dryer transformer bit was a brilliant idea. Always good to see a video from you :)

    • @willdbeast1523
      @willdbeast1523 Před 4 lety +42

      Yeah it was a great idea, so good I think I might try it at home

    • @daanwilmer
      @daanwilmer Před 4 lety +19

      @@willdbeast1523 I know you're probably joking but... please don't, that thing is a death trap. That thing has wires live at several thousand volts, and you should stay away from those - literally.

    • @ergohack
      @ergohack Před 4 lety +10

      Using microwave oven transformers to do the step-up / step-down usually results in very high losses, and is really only good for demonstration.

    • @CasuallyPlayinGames
      @CasuallyPlayinGames Před 4 lety +5

      @@willdbeast1523 why not just go straight to the source and touch the wires at your local sub station *s

    • @Mrcaffinebean
      @Mrcaffinebean Před 4 lety +2

      CasuallyPlayinGames totally agree, I knew most of these things and still found the demo cool. Hard to beat seeing something in action!

  • @ryancafferty4973
    @ryancafferty4973 Před 8 dny

    the hair dryer demonstration almost had me weeping with new understanding. i’m 43 and learning new things doesn’t happen as easily as it used to. i really love your wonderfully composed videos. you’re amazing :)

  • @utuber348
    @utuber348 Před 3 lety +6

    This is by far the best description of electrical transmission for the non-engineer that I have seen. Thank you, and keep up the good work.

  • @kartikeysingh4668
    @kartikeysingh4668 Před 4 lety +459

    I got asked in my job interview "how can you tell what is the transmission voltage level by simply looking at the transmission tower?". I knew the answer but my point is these videos are actually very informative for people who are curious about Power systems in general.

    • @jimsvideos7201
      @jimsvideos7201 Před 4 lety +40

      Man getting a job at Starbucks is tough!
      ...I kid of course.

    • @Joe-Mamasixtyninefourtwenty
      @Joe-Mamasixtyninefourtwenty Před 4 lety +35

      Its the insulators right?

    • @XiAwesomeGodziX
      @XiAwesomeGodziX Před 4 lety +6

      @@Joe-Mamasixtyninefourtwenty Yes sir

    • @cornholiothefirst2018
      @cornholiothefirst2018 Před 4 lety +22

      @@Joe-Mamasixtyninefourtwenty also more than one wire per phase

    • @JonnyD3ath
      @JonnyD3ath Před 4 lety +20

      corn holio that depends, you can't use that alone as our low voltage systems at 230V and our transmission system at 275kV both may have 1 or multiple conductors per phase depending on application

  • @ianmcclymonds6912
    @ianmcclymonds6912 Před 4 lety +7

    Correction at 3:35...
    V=IR is not the equation that shows that increasing the voltage would decrease current. If you made V larger, I would also be larger to keep the same R. In reality, transformers change the load, so Ohm's law is not violated.
    Rather, the correct equation is P=IV. This equation shows that you can deliver the same amount of power with lower current if you increase the voltage.
    I just wanted to comment in the event that someone was confused. Thanks again for your great videos, Grady!

    • @MA-qz1sd
      @MA-qz1sd Před 4 lety

      but if you increase the voltage shouldn't the current also increase thus giving you more power? how do transformers increase the voltage while making sure current stays the same?

    • @annaasp7570
      @annaasp7570 Před rokem

      Thanks for pointing this out. I scrolled through the comments to see if anyone had made this correction because I noticed the discrepancy too.
      His audio explanation is correct as he describes the relationship between >powerresistance

    • @bilal98364
      @bilal98364 Před měsícem +1

      @@MA-qz1sd I hope you got your answer. if not, consider this P = I V -> assuming P is constant ('which is the demand") doubling the voltage will give us half the current.
      in your second question, transforms change the voltage and using ohms law the current will be I(out) = V(out) / Z(load) or I(out) = V(out) / R(load) if the load is purely resistive. which means that the current is dependent on the voltage and impedance.

  • @agoatmannameddesire8856
    @agoatmannameddesire8856 Před 4 lety +12

    You put so much effort into your videos! We’re all hugely appreciative of your work, keep it up! I look forward to every new one you post!

  • @lluisfargaslopez3925
    @lluisfargaslopez3925 Před 4 lety +7

    I have just covered this topic in my introduction to electrical engineering class as a mechanical engineering student. You explained it far better than my teacher.

  • @xdave83
    @xdave83 Před 4 lety +83

    Great to see another video on power engineering. I had to pause my day just to watch this.
    I wanted to add that the thought and preparation you put into your physical demonstrations is what really makes your channel stand clear above the rest. A good engineering teacher doesn't just explain how something works, but also why it was done that way.

    • @GIPvideos
      @GIPvideos Před 4 lety +1

      Yeah thanks for the Demo! You're the best!

  • @MrSmeagolsGhost
    @MrSmeagolsGhost Před 4 lety +168

    Wind also has a very large positive effect, with small amounts of winds ~2m/s + greatly increases the heat dissipation of a power line.
    Also earth wires are typically used for communication as well with multiple fibre optic cables embedded with in them.

    • @brinkshows2720
      @brinkshows2720 Před 4 lety

      Here in the Netherlands we have some high voltage powerlines above ground but all the low and medium voltage is already in the ground. New high voltage lines are also laid into the ground nowadays. So no not really. Wires in the earth are not only used for communications and other stuff..

    • @Torchedini
      @Torchedini Před 4 lety +7

      @@brinkshows2720 Well that works because the Netherlands are really dense in population, small in size and not subjected to earthquakes (except Groningen but w/e)
      Population density and size helps because digging holes is friggin expensive. Having less distance needed and more people able to pay for it is good. And the no earthquakes and other mayor disturbances makes ground cabling relatively worthwhile to do. Also, when you move further and further away from the randstad the powerlines start appearing.

    • @brinkshows2720
      @brinkshows2720 Před 4 lety +2

      @@Torchedini Yeah thats because in the Randstad the powerlines above ground have been replaced. But more outside the Randstad if there are new powerlines they are also laid inground.
      About the population density. This is true that its really dense, but if you look anywhere in the country there is no low or medium voltage line found above ground. Also in foreign countries you also see low voltage powerlines in cities above ground.
      Yes we don't any earthquakes (except for Groningen a little), but powerlines are one of the utilities that is least affected by earthquakes. Some even say its better to lay them in ground because when an earthquake hits powerpoles fall over and create damage and dangerous situations, while if they where in the ground they wouldn't have.

    • @hamjudo
      @hamjudo Před 4 lety +2

      The company that runs the transmission lines replaced the upper shield wire on the 120 kV line in my yard. The new shield wire has 1700 optical fibers. But they aren't used for communication, at least not yet. They haven't gotten permission from the railroad to work over the tracks. The rest of the fancy new cable is spooled on the tower across the tracks from the substation.

    • @CV-ly6ct
      @CV-ly6ct Před 4 lety +2

      @@brinkshows2720 he is talking earth as in ground wires... Not literally in the Earth. I understand English is your second language, but don't respond if you don't understand.

  • @AnerBenArtzi
    @AnerBenArtzi Před 4 lety +18

    I saw the title and thought "I know how transmission lines work." But then I remembered this is Practical Engineering, and it's worth watching even if you think you already know. Great video. I was looking forward to hearing about how the parameters of conductors are chosen... maybe in another video, I guess.

    • @PandeyPrashant
      @PandeyPrashant Před 2 lety

      Here, if you want to know about the parameters on choosing conductors, you might be interested in this video.
      czcams.com/video/_pGbLXu6YWQ/video.html

  • @Pat21617
    @Pat21617 Před 4 lety +15

    I’ve heard the grid referred to as the “infinite buss”! I’ve also seen lightning strike the shield wire, travel down the tower and exit thru the ground cable we just installed. About 20 meters from the tower the sand turned to glass. The tower was 32meters tall as I recall, the ground wire was a meter deep. Great respect for lightning from that point on.

    • @sareeyemanusqaame8723
      @sareeyemanusqaame8723 Před 4 lety +1

      What if the sand turned Gold or diamond?

    • @nate2838
      @nate2838 Před rokem +1

      @@sareeyemanusqaame8723 Harnessing the power of lightning to create gold..... that would be something

  • @markchatman9583
    @markchatman9583 Před 4 lety +3

    I build transmission lines for a living. And hydro dams. Your channel is right up my alley. In the past few years I’ve done my part to build a 735KV line. A 550Kv line and a 325kv line and am currently working on a 695 megawatt hydro dam. Good money in electricity!!

  • @Wapajama99
    @Wapajama99 Před 4 lety +6

    Thank you so much for uploading these videos! I've been curious about these systems for so long now.

  • @jawjuk
    @jawjuk Před 4 lety +40

    I never really understood the low current/high voltage reasoning of transmission until now; thank you for this great explanation, Grady!

    • @nate2838
      @nate2838 Před rokem

      Dido.

    • @AdamSmith-kl1rs
      @AdamSmith-kl1rs Před 9 měsíci

      I still don’t. V=IR, so decreasing I will also decrease V. It’s not clear how increasing voltage reduced the current.

    • @Misterspork57
      @Misterspork57 Před 9 měsíci

      ​@@AdamSmith-kl1rs
      V=IR is the equation used to measure the voltage drop across a resistor, in this case representing the line as a resistor. It does not tell you what the voltage on the line is from the source, only how much the voltage reduces between the two ends you're measuring from. The voltage on the line is decided by the source and the transformers.
      What is held constant on a line is the total power, P=VI, which combines both used and wasted power. The source produces some fixed amount of power, and that energy has to be conserved. Therefore, it either is lost as heat on the line or makes it to the consumer, in this simplified model. Because of the fact we can control the voltage using transformers, we can raise the voltage which decreases the current, keeping the total power constant.
      To avoid further confusion, when calculating the power lost in the line as heat the voltage used in P=VI must be the voltage drop across the conductor. This is why we can substitute V=IR and end up with P=I^2R.
      Let me know if anything is still unclear

    • @Misterspork57
      @Misterspork57 Před 9 měsíci

      ​@@AdamSmith-kl1rs​
      Side note, the point in the video where Grady clarified this was in the line "The only way to reduce the current and *still get the same amount of power* is to increase the voltage"
      Although it is easy to miss that, I admit.

    • @AdamSmith-kl1rs
      @AdamSmith-kl1rs Před 9 měsíci

      @@Misterspork57 thanks this really helped!

  • @walrus4248
    @walrus4248 Před rokem +8

    4:25 such a brilliant demonstration of transformers, as his videos often have.

  • @dedasdude
    @dedasdude Před 4 lety +419

    Your wife's commentary while you cooked made me laugh! Congrats!

    • @chrisray1567
      @chrisray1567 Před 4 lety +22

      Me too. She has definitely earned her snarky commentary merit badge.

    • @Courtj3st3r33
      @Courtj3st3r33 Před 4 lety +24

      You know a video is good when there are comments about the ads.

    • @akefayamenay104
      @akefayamenay104 Před 4 lety +13

      "Nice shallot stack"..now that’s a compliment ;)

    • @karlbergen6826
      @karlbergen6826 Před 4 lety +2

      That was a cool demonstration

    • @Norsilca
      @Norsilca Před 4 lety +6

      They are so ridiculously adorable

  • @revgordon91
    @revgordon91 Před 4 lety +4

    Nicely done Grady! I really like how you informed us on how the transmission grid works! As a employee that works with transmission lines on a daily bases, I can tell you have done quite a bit of research on this subject as you have been extremely accurate with everything you said in this video. Nicely done!

  • @Pilawn
    @Pilawn Před rokem +19

    Hey thats me

  • @Matthiasflint
    @Matthiasflint Před 4 lety +1

    You're such a good source of actual information. I love your format!

  • @trent33511
    @trent33511 Před 4 lety +4

    Absolutely amazing demonstration with the transformers. Both young and old of the house impressed. Thank you for providing such great information.

  • @charlessullivan8861
    @charlessullivan8861 Před 4 lety +3

    Excellent video as always Grady! Thanks for the info.

  • @fixerofthings
    @fixerofthings Před 4 lety +2

    One of your best demos. Very informative video, thanks!

  • @tonystackle5977
    @tonystackle5977 Před 3 lety +2

    Love to see this as someone who works building these lines! Thank you!

  • @liyafang3426
    @liyafang3426 Před 4 lety +14

    Hey, thanks a lot for the demonstrations. They are very helpful for why we boost up the voltage in the transmission line that also I was always wondering. My sincere gratitude for this video.

  • @theshuman100
    @theshuman100 Před 4 lety +157

    voltage is just a measure of how hard you yeet electrons

    • @cezarcatalin1406
      @cezarcatalin1406 Před 4 lety +13

      theshuman100
      But ElectroBOOM always gets yeeted by those angry pixies

    • @dustin9258
      @dustin9258 Před 4 lety +3

      This just made my day 😂

  • @montelds
    @montelds Před 4 lety +2

    Oh my! I love all your videos, and with all that is going on with my local power company (PG&E) it makes the subject very relevant. I really loved this one and your low scale examples are the best!

  • @charlesaeneas
    @charlesaeneas Před 2 měsíci

    Brilliant as it cuts to the essentials while making it clear and easy to understand. A great teacher!

  • @cussmustard4748
    @cussmustard4748 Před 4 lety +222

    “Most people don’t like to live near large industrial facilities” - New Jersey has left the chat.

    • @JerryKosloski
      @JerryKosloski Před 4 lety +10

      *people near Forked River being diagnosed with cancer at an increasing rate.*
      NJ Government: "Definitely not the power plant that's had multiple radiation leaks."

    • @mtadams2009
      @mtadams2009 Před 4 lety +5

      The nice towns are not near industrialized area's. Just the poor towns and poor people deal with the mess. Same story in my state of Ma. and the rest of the country.

    • @Jemalacane0
      @Jemalacane0 Před 4 lety +2

      @@JerryKosloski Ah, LNT bullshit! Not to mention both Salem and Hope creek generating stations are over 100 miles away from the Forked River.

    • @SodiumInduction-hv
      @SodiumInduction-hv Před 11 dny

      lol yep i live in NJ I can confirm

  • @Crobisaur
    @Crobisaur Před 4 lety +6

    I'd love for you to expand on this with AC related losses with line capacitance and impedance. It was one of my favorite parts of my EMag courses in undergrad.

  • @bigmikeh5827
    @bigmikeh5827 Před 4 lety

    This is great stuff!! This is exactly what I was looking for my students to get the big picture. Your model of step up/step down, higher voltage/lower current and the sizing of conductors is awesome.

  • @TerMa354
    @TerMa354 Před 4 lety

    Great video! I never imagined something so mundane could be that fascinating. I knew there was some deep engineering involved, but certainly some practical illustrations used, on your part to highlight this fact.

  • @imalol1
    @imalol1 Před 4 lety +11

    yes! a new video!

  • @inzanozulu
    @inzanozulu Před 4 lety +11

    Oh I love the hair dryer demos! Thank you

  • @richardp1522
    @richardp1522 Před 2 lety

    You totally changed my understanding of electrical transmission lines. Your explanation start to finish altered my previous patchwork knowledge of them. Great post thanks.

  • @marcusmonson7717
    @marcusmonson7717 Před rokem +1

    Hard to imagine high voltage AC power is over 100 years old! Fantastic demonstration explaining voltage vs current draw. I've been doing commercial and residential electrical work my entire adult life and I always learn something new, a different perspective and appreciate your using language not designed to confuse watching your videos. Keep up the good work.

  • @bernieponcik1351
    @bernieponcik1351 Před 4 lety +4

    This is fantastic! Thank you for doing this, I learned half a dozen new things about stuff I see everyday :)

  • @NPSao
    @NPSao Před 4 lety +4

    Long time watcher, though I never commented. Just wanted to say that I really enjoy watching your videos! They are always interesting and well explained! Thank you.

  • @user-jt4yk5gm6i
    @user-jt4yk5gm6i Před 3 měsíci

    Excellent and informative video, loved the sunset background in the transmission lines pictures

  • @chrisdavis187
    @chrisdavis187 Před 4 lety

    Thanks for the vids, I always enjoy the eletrical and plumbing ones you’ve done.

  • @andreconde8849
    @andreconde8849 Před 4 lety +71

    3:30 is inaccurate. You should should the Power formula P=V * I in order to make the statement of I↓ and V↑ thus transferring the same Power (P) . Instead you have V↑ = I↓ * R which is not true for Ohm's law or any multiplication of 2 constants.

    • @PrakharSingh21
      @PrakharSingh21 Před 4 lety +10

      Exactly! Even I replayed that part over multiple times as I could not get it over my head as Current is directly proportional to Voltage, so if he keeps the resistance constant then current must increase with increase in voltage.

    • @colin4349
      @colin4349 Před 4 lety +30

      Yeah, that part of the video is extremely confusing and misleading. The part with "V↑ = I↓ * R" should clearly be removed.
      The video talks about two different type of power in quick succession without clearly differentiating them. There is Pr, power lost due to resistance on the transmission line, and Pc, power to the consumer.
      Pr = I * Vw = I * I * R
      Power lost due to transmission resistance is related to the current and the Vw, voltage lost on the line. However voltage lost is related to the current * resistance. Therefor to reduce the Pr, power loss due to transmission, the current and resistance can be played with.
      If we want to keep the power to the consumer the same, we can look at a similar power formula:
      Pc = I * Vc
      The voltage here is different from the previous one. This is Vc, the voltage the consumer sees. However, it is the same current. So to lower Pr and keep Pc the same,
      Pc = I↓ * Vc↑ and Pr↓ = I↓ * I↓ * R.

    • @andreconde8849
      @andreconde8849 Před 4 lety +4

      @@colin4349 Exactly, that way would be more explicit.

    • @joeshmoe7967
      @joeshmoe7967 Před 4 lety +3

      Re-watched the segment and don't see your point. If you listen to what is being said it all works out. He describes the situation and the variables and the formulas reflect this.

    • @SuperSonicDonk3y
      @SuperSonicDonk3y Před 4 lety +12

      @@joeshmoe7967 there is no way to get higher V with lower I. that formula is the wrong one

  • @jasonscerno274
    @jasonscerno274 Před 3 lety +6

    In 7 minutes you explained this better than my EE professor did in 1.5 hours

  • @Brehvon
    @Brehvon Před 2 lety +2

    I was able to figure out the insulators easily enough but I never knew they were standardized and could be used to get that rough idea of voltage protection! Had no clue about guard wires either though it is one of those things that, once explained, makes so much sense I feel I should have figured it out myself!
    Outstanding video, as always!

  • @KaziNazmulYT
    @KaziNazmulYT Před rokem +1

    In my last semester's final viva, I was asked by my examiner to describe the transmission line system. So, I started to explain this to him in my own way. He then stopped me and said I had to explain this as an electrical engineer. I wasn't sure how to explain that topic from an electrical engineer's point of view. After watching this video, I understood the actual thought of transmission lines. I'm pretty sure that my examiner wanted this type of explanation from me. Thank you so much for this easy but meaningful explanation. Love from Bangladesh.

  • @Jared01
    @Jared01 Před 4 lety +11

    I can confirm that the power lines will induce voltages on nearby lines. I used to work for a telecom giant, and our copper phone lines would pick up voltage all the time. It was also easy to find when a ground had been cut from a phone pole, due to the induced voltage and noise levels.

  • @DasGanon
    @DasGanon Před 4 lety +7

    I've always heard that you step up voltage for transmission to manage loss, but never knew why...
    This explains it perfectly.

    • @jovetj
      @jovetj Před 4 lety +1

      That's a side effect, but making the line cheaper is the main reason. Higher voltage means less amps going through the conductor, which means you can use a smaller conductor. Smaller conductors are vastly cheaper.

    • @randyweaver6543
      @randyweaver6543 Před 4 lety

      Jovet distance as well

  • @dancingtiger577
    @dancingtiger577 Před 3 lety +1

    I don’t think I have heard a better more concise explanation of current and voltage, well done ;)

  • @clancybenedict6647
    @clancybenedict6647 Před 2 lety

    Easily one of the best CZcams channels in existence currently. Now I want to see you do a video on Mains Hum. I was waiting for it to come up somewhere in this video haha

  • @horizonbrave1533
    @horizonbrave1533 Před 4 lety +4

    I really really hope you know how much I (and many here appreciate the work you do! Love these videos, I've always been fascinated by electricity and how it's 'shipped' around. I went into the field of Telecommunications and IT but there's still a very big part of me that wishes I would have taken the E.E route!

    • @rjones6219
      @rjones6219 Před rokem +1

      Having done an electrical apprenticeship in machine tool electrical engineering, and done courses on heavy current technologies, such as this video. Then going into IT and teaching a lot of telecomms stuff, I reckon you are in a good career area.

    • @horizonbrave1533
      @horizonbrave1533 Před rokem

      @@rjones6219 Thanks! Yep, three years from that comment and I still enjoy it here!

  • @ErnestJay88
    @ErnestJay88 Před 4 lety +404

    If Electroboom explained this, he will be electrocuted so many times.

    • @verylongname8161
      @verylongname8161 Před 4 lety +20

      He did!! The transformer part alone in his ac vs DC video

    • @crackedemerald4930
      @crackedemerald4930 Před 4 lety +22

      He wouldn't: you can only get electrocuted once

    • @michaelmccarthy4615
      @michaelmccarthy4615 Před 4 lety +6

      Electroboom has a high tolerance for pain.
      That's his call to fame....

    • @KarlBunker
      @KarlBunker Před 4 lety +7

      @@crackedemerald4930 "He wouldn't: you can only get electrocuted once"
      That depends on whether you use the word as it was defined when it was coined over 100 years ago, or the way it's used and defined today. Word definitions change over time. Denying that reality makes you both a pedant and incorrect.

    • @KuraIthys
      @KuraIthys Před 4 lety +6

      @KarlBunker - yes. It gets so annoying when people argue with modern definitions of words because they don't agree with them, and forcibly try and deny the existence of the new meaning.
      That, or use a dictionary to justify why a colloquial meaning is 'wrong', completely missing the fact that a dictionary is a DESCRIPTIVE text, not a PRESCRIPTIVE one. (That is, a dictionary contains an explanation of observed usage up to the point the dictionary was published, rather than containing a description of what a word is supposed to mean according to some kind of authority.)
      Words change meaning. Sometimes substantially. To deny that is to deny the reality of how language functions.
      (grammar also changes over time of course. But that's a side issue. - for that matter, grammar and even spelling is contextual; a statement like HI HOW R U is valid in some contexts, but not in others. To say nothing of dialect related variations, such as colour, aluminum, and the like...)

  • @thorlo1278
    @thorlo1278 Před 2 lety

    That was one of the most interesting videos on power transmission lines I have ever seen! that was awesome! Thanks for the video!

  • @PedroLopez-lr6lj
    @PedroLopez-lr6lj Před 3 lety

    I really Like the way you expose concepts! Thanks a lot for sharing!

  • @MrAmalasan
    @MrAmalasan Před 4 lety +6

    I was wondering about this exact topic just this week!

  • @apoorv360
    @apoorv360 Před 4 lety +12

    make a video on harmonics in electrical systems and how its taken care of

  • @PAD058
    @PAD058 Před 4 lety

    As the channel name says "Practical Engineering" and that's exactly what you get. Everything explained in a simple informative and no nonsense way. Every engineering student should be watching this channel. A suggestion for some topics to cover in a distribution video. PV exporting and not exporting, battery storage and EV charging which are all topics very much currently being discussed by those in the utility world. Thanks again and keep up the good work.

  • @rickstandish6690
    @rickstandish6690 Před 2 lety +1

    Grady, I discovered your channel 3 weeks ago and subscribed after watching the very first episode. Great work, great vids and my kids love it. Thanks.!!!!

  • @jjnether
    @jjnether Před rokem +15

    As always, great video!
    For anyone that's confused at 3:31, the explanation of power loss doesn't quite make sense just looking at Ohm's Law. Based on Ohm's Law, smaller current would be the result of smaller voltage, not greater. However, if one realizes that we're dealing with two different voltages, it will begin to make sense. To decrease current through the conductor, we must decrease the voltage from one end of the conductor to the other. And that can be done by increasing the voltage that's measured from the conductor to ground.
    This concept is explained well in this Khan Academy video: czcams.com/video/VrbxUQxu0l0/video.html

    • @erelpc
      @erelpc Před 11 měsíci +4

      Yes I thought that didn't make any sense and it was left unexplained in the video, as voltage and current don't have an inverse relationship. Thank you for explaining.
      Your linked video also highlights the fact that ohms law refers to the relationship of V and I for a given circuit, but transformers are based around 2 different circuits.

  • @radosawwujec959
    @radosawwujec959 Před 4 lety +77

    would be great to hear about the subject - HVDC powerlines for example. Part 2 maybe? ;)

    • @jmonsted
      @jmonsted Před 4 lety +10

      That would be awesome. I know that we're building HVDC infrastructure but i don't really understand how it works or how it's better than AC.

    • @MottyGlix
      @MottyGlix Před 4 lety +5

      @@jmonsted Tom Scott did a video on that. Above a certain voltage and a certain distance, the absence of capacitance and inductance (because it's DC) makes HVDC economical.

    • @slashetc
      @slashetc Před 4 lety +1

      YES, I have a friend who used to work with utilities who told me about HVDC and I was wondered how that's possible, if they have higher purity, lower resistance conductors or if something else has changed to make HVDC more efficient.

    • @jmonsted
      @jmonsted Před 4 lety +5

      @@slashetc It's mostly just that the conversion equipment is so much more efficient than it used to be. HVDC made a lot less sense when you lost more converting than you would on transmission losses.

    • @dougankrum3328
      @dougankrum3328 Před 4 lety +3

      HVDC....quite a few videos here about that....seems dc is going to be preferred as lines reach about 600-700 KV....biggest 'hurdle' of course it the rectification, and generation of DC at that level.

  • @chrismorris1304
    @chrismorris1304 Před 3 lety

    Loved this! Examples and comparisons were very helpful :)

  • @sunshine7453
    @sunshine7453 Před 3 lety

    Excellent presentation! You have made things so clear. I have learned a lot from you. Thank you!

  • @GlennHamblin
    @GlennHamblin Před 4 lety +3

    Thanks Grady. Especially for the 15 x number of disks. Cool guesstimator.

  • @shanevmax34
    @shanevmax34 Před 4 lety +3

    newly installed high voltage power line was installed running parallel to the railroad tracks I worked on. If we cut out a bad length of rail in this area. We would notice small sparks arcing between the cut. When installing the replacement length of rail, the same arcing would occur and if you held both sides of the connection, you would get a decently strong jolt. I'm guessing this was caused by induction. If it was foggy or slightly misting, it really stunk to change a rail in that area

    • @JonnyD3ath
      @JonnyD3ath Před 4 lety

      shanevmax34 wear gloves? Lol

    • @karlbergen6826
      @karlbergen6826 Před 4 lety

      That is a problem with running AC lines. If these lines were DC this loss would NOT occur.

    • @karentracey5989
      @karentracey5989 Před 3 lety

      Impressed voltages another subject

  • @GururajBN
    @GururajBN Před 2 lety

    Very instructive and informative video. Many thanks for the enlightening talk.

  • @davidkamore
    @davidkamore Před 3 měsíci

    Your channel is truly practical engineering!
    I love it!

  • @krembo1077
    @krembo1077 Před 4 lety +398

    What causes the power line noise? What is done to minimize it?

    • @Azivegu
      @Azivegu Před 4 lety +435

      That is an electric discharge of the air. So basically, the power lines leak electricity into the air. The air then dissipates the energy and that produces a buzzing. There are steps to be taken to help minimize the problem, but it'll occur in any high voltage system.

    • @erikjohansson1814
      @erikjohansson1814 Před 4 lety +36

      krembo
      Electricity
      Earplugs

    • @AksamRafiz
      @AksamRafiz Před 4 lety +11

      @@Azivegu u basically dodged his question so what about not replying if ur not gonna provide an answer in the first place.

    • @Azivegu
      @Azivegu Před 4 lety +206

      @@AksamRafiz you high bro?

    • @thedankmemelord5215
      @thedankmemelord5215 Před 4 lety +97

      @@AksamRafiz He just provided the answer

  • @manangupta6458
    @manangupta6458 Před 4 lety +3

    Great video!

  • @ChamaraVFX
    @ChamaraVFX Před 4 lety +1

    Fascinating as always!

  • @bjsacker
    @bjsacker Před 2 lety

    These videos are so much fun. I have wondered about the insulators on power lines, I did not know they were ceramic. Thank you for doing these videos that highlight interesting aspects of the engineering that goes in to utilities.

  • @calembur
    @calembur Před 4 lety +3

    Wow, this video was really clear and interesting. I've been learning a lot through this channel. Thanks a lot.

  • @hannessteen7699
    @hannessteen7699 Před 4 lety +10

    You should do a video on why rotating mass is important to a powergrid

    • @General12th
      @General12th Před 4 lety +2

      Are you talking about flywheel energy storage?

    • @JonnyD3ath
      @JonnyD3ath Před 4 lety +1

      J.J. Shank pretty much

    • @rthat1
      @rthat1 Před 4 lety +3

      @@General12th Probably more traditional power generation methods that involve large spinning turbines. However, there's an initiative with some North American Energy Reliability Organizations to study the impacts of inverter-based generation technologies on the Bulk Electric System. This may lead to stronger voltage/frequency performance requirements years from now.

  • @jonahansen
    @jonahansen Před 4 lety +1

    Very cool direct demonstration of the concept using the two transformers. Thanks!

  • @meenakshi_here
    @meenakshi_here Před 2 lety

    Your explanation was crystal clear. The demonstration was interesting :)
    This will help me a lot with my Seminar on this topic.
    Thanks a lot

  • @soumyadatta4514
    @soumyadatta4514 Před 4 lety +20

    3:38, to explain how to reduce current and still get same amount of power, it’s not Ohm’s Law you need to show. It’s just power law P=IV.

    • @ethanpayne4116
      @ethanpayne4116 Před 3 lety +2

      Yeah showing Ohm's Law at that part made it very confusing since apparently Ohm's Law only applies separately to the two sub-circuits of a transformer, and can't apply to the whole thing since we have constant power.

  • @MrTheSharkie
    @MrTheSharkie Před 4 lety +5

    “Can you bounce it off your arm?” I’m dying!!🤣🤣🤣

    • @ramanshah7627
      @ramanshah7627 Před 3 lety

      Bahaha I'm so late to this party. This video is 1.5 years old, but if I'd watched it 3 months ago, I'd completely have missed this Salt Bae reference :D

  • @freeman10000
    @freeman10000 Před 4 lety

    Great video, answered many of my questions about transmission lines and towers.

  • @howardbaxter2514
    @howardbaxter2514 Před 4 lety +1

    Love this video. I recently learned about transformers in my analog circuitry class, and found it very interesting.

  • @coal6tamarack2374
    @coal6tamarack2374 Před 4 lety +7

    3:36 I think you meant to show the P = V • I equation.
    If you reduce the current in V = I • R, the voltage also decreases. A higher voltage across an equal resistance will lead to a higher current and vice versa. Doubling the voltage would give you double the current and four times the power.

    • @deonmurphy6383
      @deonmurphy6383 Před 4 lety +1

      Alfred Jodokus Kwak the key point is that for a given Power, increasing the Voltage reduces the required Current. And the voltage drop (loss) in a line is a function of the Current and Resistance.

    • @coal6tamarack2374
      @coal6tamarack2374 Před 4 lety +5

      ​@@deonmurphy6383 That's absolutely correct but that's not what the equation at 3:36 is about.

    • @roberthunter5059
      @roberthunter5059 Před 4 lety +2

      You're misunderstanding the V in the power equations. P=IV, which substituting with ohm's law (V=IR) also gives V²/R and I²R. However, the V refers to the voltage drop across a load. While the voltage of the power lines in reference to ground definitely goes up, that is not the voltage drop across the line itself from point A to point B, which is ideally constant for a given power line.

    • @coal6tamarack2374
      @coal6tamarack2374 Před 4 lety +2

      @@roberthunter5059 V^2/R isn't a Voltage drop, that's the power usage of a load R at the voltage V

    • @roberthunter5059
      @roberthunter5059 Před 4 lety +1

      @@coal6tamarack2374 That's what I said.

  • @jwebes
    @jwebes Před 4 lety +4

    1:23 not in Ontario Canada :(
    All of our bills have a "delivery fee" that says "The delivery charge also includes costs relating to electricity lost through
    distributing electricity to your home or business. "

    • @jovetj
      @jovetj Před 4 lety

      How very innovative of them!

    • @toddrf
      @toddrf Před 4 lety

      All utility customers pay for the losses. It just may be that your utility is more up front about it.

  • @adamanderson225
    @adamanderson225 Před 4 lety +1

    Great example. Very well simplified.

  • @chickmagnet6004
    @chickmagnet6004 Před 2 lety

    such a great teacher! amazing video & incredible knowledge! Priceless! Much appreciated !

  • @SlipperyTeeth
    @SlipperyTeeth Před 4 lety +66

    Your wife is flirting with you so hard
    I'm surprised you managed to finish filming the ad

    • @jovetj
      @jovetj Před 4 lety +4

      Coulda paused it and you'd never even know!

    • @usmanaabdussalami9935
      @usmanaabdussalami9935 Před 4 lety

      I'm student of electric engineering how you tech me more

  • @thesarcast795
    @thesarcast795 Před 3 lety +11

    I'm not an electrician, never will be, but god this is interesting.

  • @johnszott956
    @johnszott956 Před 4 lety

    Excellent video I love the way you explain it in simple ways . Keep up good work

  • @cleokey
    @cleokey Před rokem

    Was a distribution lineman in so cal for 25 years, retired 20 years ago. Loved it, great video

  • @Zartymil
    @Zartymil Před 4 lety +20

    Hi! At 3:30 I think you meant to refer to the equation P = V*I instead of Ohm's law. Reducing I in Ohm's law will always (assuming R > 0) decrease V.

    • @dyson9422
      @dyson9422 Před rokem

      3:30 is not the only cringe-worthy time, but for 9:49 he does a good job and avoids the eyes-glazed-over response that I get when I try to explain transmission lines.

  • @kurtmueller2089
    @kurtmueller2089 Před 4 lety +6

    Probably preaching to the choir here, but those two microwave transformers made for a really awesome demo.

  • @user-xd9pg4mk9k
    @user-xd9pg4mk9k Před 9 měsíci

    Amazing illustration video

  • @kennethboehnlein51
    @kennethboehnlein51 Před rokem

    Great video. Very educational. It made the transmission of electricity easy to understand.

  • @ellisjackson3355
    @ellisjackson3355 Před 4 lety +5

    I've always always wondered about those insulators that I see in those pylons. Maybe I should've did EE.

  • @crispyglove
    @crispyglove Před 4 lety +61

    Power companies aren't compensated for energy lost in the grid? You don't think that's baked into the cost of electricity?

    • @HorzaPanda
      @HorzaPanda Před 4 lety +17

      Haha, yes. It’s still in their best interest to reduce losses as long as that costs less than generating more electricity, but yep, they factor that in 😂

    • @seneca983
      @seneca983 Před 4 lety

      "You don't think that's baked into the cost of electricity?"
      In principle, only a portion of it should be and the size of that portion should depend on the elasticity of the supply and demand.

    • @tchevrier
      @tchevrier Před 4 lety +5

      yes and no. Utilities can set the rates they sell it to consumers so all of that is factored into their pricing structure. I wouldn't call it "baked into" because that sounds kind of shady. That said, power sold from utility to utility is typically sold on the open market so you might not have too much control over those prices.

    • @agilemind6241
      @agilemind6241 Před 4 lety

      Sure, but it's still a major loss of efficiency, and thus profit or competitive edge. More energy loss = more energy generation required = more maintenance costs & more pollution etc...

    • @kaitlyn__L
      @kaitlyn__L Před 4 lety +6

      @@tchevrier baked in sounds shady to you? That's interesting, because I've always found the opposite - that "it's all been accounted for" sounds sinister but "it's baked in" reminds me of "it does what it says on the tin", but also just.. home baking.

  • @jdillon8360
    @jdillon8360 Před 9 měsíci

    Super interesting. The demonstration with 2 transformers and thin wire really helped explain the point. I wouldn't have imagined that those thin wires could carry enough power for the hairdryer, but there you go, you proved it's possible!

  • @guidogt9878
    @guidogt9878 Před 4 lety

    Very interesting. Nice demonstration with the transformers and the dryer. Thanks.