The World's Electrical Power Grid as The Largest Machine Ever Built

The history of mankind has invariably been centered on using energy for its own purposes. The taming of fire was the starting point, the point when we mastered the ability to utilize thermal energy for preparing food and getting warm.

The Industrial Age gets a lot of praise as the time when numerous groundbreaking technological advances were made. However, the underlying process behind every breakthrough of that time was that of turning thermal energy into mechanical; one of the applications exemplifying such a conversion is the heat engine. Eventually, this has completely transformed the world around us, an achievement that not a single other species on our planet has been able to make.

Come to think of it, the world as we know it could not exist if people had not learned to handle energy. We can see it applied all around us, in our homes and offices, buildings, factories, cities, countries, continents – in essence, energy encompasses the whole globe and thus creates a network known as the power grid, undoubtedly the most complex machine that has ever been invented.  Yet, we have no difficulty using its product, electricity. Even the youngest of us know how to switch on the lights and which button to press to power their favourite gadgets. Well, first things first, before discussing the way the electrical grid works, let’s talk about where it all begins.

At present, 66 percent of the energy people use is still generated with the help of fossil fuels, including coal, oil, and natural gas, while 17 and 11 percent comes from nuclear and hydroelectric sources respectively. Renewable sources, despite being widely discussed in the media, account for only 7 percent of the total energy produced. The largest proportion of electricity is used by households, whose computers, coffee machines, dishwashers and other appliances are powered through the electrical grid. However, not many of us are aware of how large and complicated this system is. Every time somebody switches on their TV, an electrical circuit is completed. The existence of this circuit is only possible because many miles away electricity is produced through one of the energy sources mentioned above. This electricity is then sent out at a dangerously high voltage over power lines. On the way to homes and business it passes a series of transformers and substations, which gradually step down the voltage to a less hazardous level, typically somewhere from 120 to 240 volts depending on the country. On the downside, the more complicated a system is, the more it is prone to malfunction, and the power grid is not an exception.

As many of us know, the common problems associated with the power industry include the detrimental effect it has on the environment, losses during energy transportation (which make up about 60 percent of the generated energy), and the inability to store energy in large amounts. Today, a lot of professionals, ranging from researchers to practitioners, are tackling these global issues at different levels.

Also, the industry faces a variety of more immediate threats due to the faults in the power grid. These can be caused by equipment aging, exposure to weather elements, breakdowns of various power grid components, and other factors. Although quite troublesome, these issues can be addressed more easily than any of the global challenges mentioned above, and an important contribution to this area is made by high voltage testing and fault location equipment. This type of electrical instruments allows the utility personnel to analyse the performance of the grid elements, identify potential risks for the system and existing faults, and take measures necessary to deal with them.

In the pursuit of a more efficient power grid an idea of the smart grid was created. This concept implies turning to the modern information technology, which is to coordinate the joint work of all the constituents of the power system. Such a power grid is made up of numerous components, such as renewable sources of energy, smart measuring tools, smart household devices, and other instruments ensuring efficient energy production, distribution and consumption. The integration of all these elements will allow the smart grid to automatically assess the condition of the network and adjust its work accordingly, for instance, by sending a signal to individual electrical appliances to reduce the electrical stress if the grid is overloaded.

Finally, the rapid growth of the world’s population means that the need for energy will be rising as well. Therefore, as the increase in the energy consumption places higher demands on the electrical grid, the humanity will have to think of new ways to make the power system more efficient. For this reason the power sector calls for new ideas and inventions, and, therefore, for new scientists, engineers and other professionals who will be driving innovation in the power industry. 

Alexei Tiatiushkin

Marketing manager

KharkovEnergoPribor Ltd.

marketing@keppowertesting.uk

http://www.kep.ua