Would a high voltage low current generator be more efficient?

[crutschow]

In general they design a power station generator to have as high a voltage as possible to minimize the size of the wires required to carry the power from the generator to the distribution transformers.
The upper limit it likely determined by the practical problems of preventing voltage breakdown in the transformer windings.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

In general they design a power station generator to have as high a voltage as possible to minimize the size of the wires required to carry the power from the generator to the distribution transformers.
The upper limit it likely determined by the practical problems of preventing voltage breakdown in the transformer windings.

Like most things, it's a balancing act between one thing and another, and presumably the 'optimum' point has long since been decided on - although I presume it will probably change over time somewhat as different technologies develop.

It's probably not that big an issue in the actual generating plant, as it's a relatively short distance to the distribution transformers, so you can easily afford short thick cables - obviously it's when you have tens (or hundreds) of miles of cable where you really want it as high a voltage as you can.

Must admit, I've always been 'well impressed' with how well the National Grid works here.

 

[Reloadron]

There's rules about that. Hard to believe pushing 45 ~ 50 years since I saw that in a classroom.

Ron

 

[dr pepper]

Hope this is Ok to do, but this might be interesting for anyone interested in our natational grid - power meters.
Notice coal is 0%, I'm pretty sure coal stations were banned recently.
Not sure how we are going to cope when everyone has an electric vehicle pulliung 32 amps all night long.

https://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/

 

[Diver300]

Hope this is Ok to do, but this might be interesting for anyone interested in our natational grid - power meters.
Notice coal is 0%, I'm pretty sure coal stations were banned recently.
Not sure how we are going to cope when everyone has an electric vehicle pulliung 32 amps all night long.

https://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/

I don't think we're going to get any new coal stations, but the current ones are used when needed, which is less and less often, but having a lot of wind power means that there is some cost to the intermittency of it. Diesel generators are used occasionally as well.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

I don't think we're going to get any new coal stations, but the current ones are used when needed, which is less and less often, but having a lot of wind power means that there is some cost to the intermittency of it. Diesel generators are used occasionally as well.

For anyone who drives up the A1(M) in Yorkshire, you go past a HUGE power station(s) at Ferrybridge, the coal part of this has recently (few weeks ago?) been shutdown. Only a few years ago went you drove past there were huge mountains of coal piled up, gradually it's all disappeared.

 

[dr pepper]

Yes that was a fair old place, isnt there another near Halifax?
Once place I worked had diesel gensets powered by napier deltic engines, very interesting to work on, but you got totally black even replacing something simple.
An elecric arc furnace is a heck of a sight to see in operation.

 

[Reloadron]

Hope this is Ok to do, but this might be interesting for anyone interested in our natational grid - power meters.
Notice coal is 0%, I'm pretty sure coal stations were banned recently.
Not sure how we are going to cope when everyone has an electric vehicle pulliung 32 amps all night long.

https://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/

Here in the US how electricity is generated varies from state to state. Ohio, where I happen to be still relies on coal and matter of fact right about 47% of our energy comes from coal. While sources like Hydro-Electric are sweet you need rivers to make it happen. Canada my northern neighbor is blessed with Hydro-Electric.

Cost is a key player in the game. Just of the US states the most expensive electricity is in Hawaii but when we think about it Hawaii has pretty much zero natural resources for producing electricity. Globally the last I looked I believe Germany had the most expensive electricity.

Ron

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Yes that was a fair old place, isnt there another near Halifax?
Once place I worked had diesel gensets powered by napier deltic engines, very interesting to work on, but you got totally black even replacing something simple.

I went on an open day round a coal fired plant a number of years ago, I must admit I was VERY impressed with the entire place, and I found the visit extremely interesting.

 

[shortbus=]

I went on an open day round a coal fired plant a number of years ago,

I did too, many years ago. It was right beside the Ohio river, the coal was unloaded from barges right at the plant. The boilers themselves were of the "fluidized bed" type Very little flame , more like a very large charcoal broiler.

 

[AnalogKid]

Or would there be something I'm completely missing..?

Something you're missing. Simplified - The magnetic field that produces the "counter-torque" is proportional to both the current through the winding *and* the number of windings or turns. For the same power output, as the voltage goes up the current goes down - but - the number of turns also goes up, so the product is the same, the magnetic flux is the same, and the "Back-emf" is the same.

ak