[time-nuts] 60 Hz measurement party

[Jim Lux]

On 6/26/11 6:29 PM, Thomas A Frank wrote:
>
> On Jun 25, 2011, at 7:31 PM, Jim Lux wrote:
>
>> although it's a lot easier if one of the links is down and they're running with the ocean return path.
>
>
> Ocean return path?  Please say more.
>
> I picture a gigantic carbon electrode stuck in the ocean by a power station - rather like the core of a really large "D" cell.
>

Not far from the truth, actually..  cast iron electrodes at the north 
end buried in a 2 mile diameter ring.  iron alloy electrodes in concrete 
in the ocean at the south end..

Electrodes  :

               At Celilo : the ground electrode is located 10.6 km from 
the converter station, in Rice Flates. The electrode is designed as a 
ring type 3255 m circumference, 1067 cast iron anodes, and 2' X 2' coke 
backfill is used. Total resistance in 2 parallel electrode lines and 
ground electrode = 0.43 ohms.



               At Sylmar : the sea electrode is located 48 km from the 
converter station, in the Pacific Ocean and consists of a linear array 
of 24 horizontal electrode elements made up of silicon-iron alloy rods 
suspended 0.5 to 1 m above the ocean bottom and located within concrete 
enclosures. Total resistance in 2 parallel electrode lines and sea 
electrode = 1.13 ohms.

> That sounds like a recipe for excitement - DC current into seawater should generate hydrogen on one and and oxygen on the other electrode.  At 3000 amps, rather a lot of it.
>

I imagine they keep the current density low enough that the gas is 
absorbed into the water as it's evolved.  But yes.. a fascinating concept.

And I'm curious where, exactly, that DC line to the ocean runs.  (since 
I live between Sylmar and the ocean, as do about 10 million other people)

I guess I can draw a circle of radius 48km  from Sylmar..

At Sylmar : 2 X 644 mm2 ACSR conductors in parallel are used for the 
first 35 km, supported by the 230 kV line towers. For the remaining 13 
km, two parallel paper-insulated underground cables are used, each with 
a 633 mm2 Cu-conductor.

I just have to look for a set of towers with a single duplex cable.

(actually a bit of googling found a report

www.kentercanyon.org/index.php/download-public-docs/doc/25/raw

)