By Stefan Fassbinder / Published on Tue, 2010-01-26 13:52
When you look inside an AC locomotive, you may notice that there is a transformer in it. You may figure out that the rating of said transformer is ≈5 MVA, its efficiency is ≈95% and the mass ≈10 tons. A utility transformer of comparable rating (same frequency – the odd 16.7 Hz in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Norway and Sweden) would have a mass of 50 t and an efficiency of 99%.
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By Bruno De Wachter / Published on Thu, 2009-04-30 13:39
Rocks travelling down to the smelter produce 90 GWh a year
At the Los Pelambres opencast Copper Mine in Northern Chile, carbon free electricity is produced in a very original way. Crushed rock containing copper ore is used to generate electricity as it travels down from the high-altitude mine to the processing plant located in the valley below.
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By Stefan Fassbinder / Published on Sat, 2009-04-25 18:37
There are many advantages of superconducting underground power transmission cables claimed over conventional copper cables, but none of them carries very far. One claim frequently made is space saving in densely populated urban areas.
Now here you see some superconductor cables on the left and conventional HV and EHV cables of similar power transmission capabilities on the right side.
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By Stefan Fassbinder / Published on Fri, 2008-05-23 09:30
What is this? A copper bonanza. While in West Germany and Switzerland the 162/3 Hz single-phase railway power supply has always been powered prevalently from dedicated power plants (with a much higher share of hydro power than the public supply includes, by the way) or from separate generators in existing power stations, in East Germany nearly all railway power was taken from the public grid.
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By Stefan Fassbinder / Published on Thu, 2008-03-13 13:34
Occasional reason for complaints: Conflicting statements on the same thing in different standards
Different standards often make divergent statements on the same part or component of an installation. This is because, firstly, one standard deals with electrical safety (e. g. IEC 60364-5-54), another one with functionality and EMC (e. g. IEC 60364-4-44) and possibly yet another with lightning protection (e. g. IEC 62305).
In many cases, the limits given in standards are mere estimates, so the respective bodies, since they all consist of technical experts, will always come to similar, but not necessarily the same limit values! Because standardisation, especially at an international level, is a very complex task, there is often a lack of communication between any two (or even more) bodies dealing with the same object from different perspectives. This is how the conflicting statements come about.
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By Hans De Keulenaer / Published on Mon, 2007-06-18 15:35
There is a strong relationship between the use of copper, as the best electrical conductor, and the reduction of carbon emissions from the electricity system. Therefore, CDM offers a great opportunity for the copper sector. As part of its carbon strategy, International Copper Association aims to develop methodologies and facilitate projects for generating CERs for sustainable electricity generation or reducing energy intensity of use through the use of copper in motor systems, power distribution, building energy management and industrial processes.
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By Hans De Keulenaer / Published on Sat, 2006-10-28 16:26
Yes, there are. Copper has excellent characteristics that make it the conductor of choice in electrical equipment. It is a mechanically stronger material than aluminium, and consequently more durable. This is especially true for applications in demanding environments, such as wire harnesses for cars, magnet wire for electric motors or power cable in industrial environments.
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By Hans De Keulenaer / Published on Sat, 2006-10-28 16:23
In homes and offices, copper is used for practical reasons. The connection terminals, i.e. plugs and sockets would be much larger in aluminium, which would be very impractical. Wires would be thicker, needing larger conduits, or plinths. In addition, copper wires can be made from a number of fine copper strands, which results in a highly flexible wire easy to pull through conduits.
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By Hans De Keulenaer / Published on Sat, 2006-10-28 16:22
For overhead lines, the weight of the cables is the deciding factor, so mostly aluminium is used. That means thicker conductors, but that does not make such a big difference for the design of an overhead line.
For high-voltage underground cables, on the contrary, copper is more suitable. The highest material cost of such cable is its insulation. Aluminium would mean a thicker conductor, so more insulation material to surround it, which would result in a more expensive cable. Consequently, in this case, the lower volume of copper is often preferred.
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By Hans De Keulenaer / Published on Sat, 2006-10-28 16:18
Not exactly. The resistivity of aluminium is 65% higher than that of copper. As a result, to conduct the same electrical current, an aluminium cable will need a cross-section that is 65% larger than that of a copper cable.
But that's not the whole story. While less conductive, aluminium is also three times lighter than copper. As a result, copper and aluminium each have their own application areas.
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By Hans De Keulenaer / Published on Sat, 2006-10-28 16:16
Yes. Nearly all materials conduct electricity to a certain degree. But to be a serious candidate for use as an electrical conductor, a material must combine a very high conductivity with a few important mechanical characteristics. That is why most practically usable conductors are metals.
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By Hans De Keulenaer / Published on Sat, 2006-10-28 16:14
The main reason to use copper is its excellent electrical conductivity. Or in other words: its low electrical resistance. Resistance is undesirable since it produces losses in the electrical flow through the material. Copper has the lowest electrical resistance of all non-precious metals.
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