We sometimes forget that electricity is not a primary source of energy but rather the most effective means of accessing power on demand. Pushing every electron form miles away is a waterfall, a burning pile of coal, an oil well or a decaying atom and that switch on the wall closes a circuit that lets a few thousand electrons from the billions available to heat the filament in your light bulb to a while hot temperature. Thanks for sharing your view of that most wonderful but all too often, under appreciated machine, the electrical grid. And thanks also for showing appreciation for Sam Insull, the father if the modern grid.
The American electrical grid is dubbed the world's largest machine. Like any machine it requires parts and those parts require parts and on it goes until you reach the commodities that require machines to process & refine. This infrastructure requires maintenance 24/7 due to the nature of size. Energy systems requires desnisty(volume) & scale-the reverse of Moore's Law, the larger the system economic of scales comes into play. The political structure has also effect the history and course of the American electrical grid. Electricity-or the access to electricity-is considered a public good which is another factor why the grid is organized the way it is.
Very cool! I write handwritten notes every day: lists, ideas, diagrams (lots for work). I find it to be the best way (for my brain) to really learn and get those things into my mental models. I've been thinking about doing a bigger project that takes more time and thought, and this is nice inspiration.
Joshua, I agree. It's a great way to learn and to explore history in a unique way, which is why I started these. Glad you like it and I hope you start your bigger project.
Fun fact, the Niagara project by Westinghouse was two phase, not three phase, as were all original Westinghouse projects. General Electric held the patents to the three phase system. The "Scott-Tee" transformer connection was developed to interconnect two phase and three phase systems.
Some excellent and old books to read, Edison and the Electric Light Industry, Men and Volts: The Story of General Electric, and PG&E of California: The Centennial Story of Pacific Gas and Electric. Iron Men and Copper Wires: a Centennial Story of Southern California Edison is rich in pictures but lighter in content.
The bit about Mitch being a hockey goon only adds to his work. Clearly, Isaac needs someone to keep him in check. Who better than a hockey goon?
Nobody keeps me in check
Don’t make Mitch have to wrap his knuckles with tinfoil.
My real last name is Hanson
Well done. I really like the drawing!
We sometimes forget that electricity is not a primary source of energy but rather the most effective means of accessing power on demand. Pushing every electron form miles away is a waterfall, a burning pile of coal, an oil well or a decaying atom and that switch on the wall closes a circuit that lets a few thousand electrons from the billions available to heat the filament in your light bulb to a while hot temperature. Thanks for sharing your view of that most wonderful but all too often, under appreciated machine, the electrical grid. And thanks also for showing appreciation for Sam Insull, the father if the modern grid.
The American electrical grid is dubbed the world's largest machine. Like any machine it requires parts and those parts require parts and on it goes until you reach the commodities that require machines to process & refine. This infrastructure requires maintenance 24/7 due to the nature of size. Energy systems requires desnisty(volume) & scale-the reverse of Moore's Law, the larger the system economic of scales comes into play. The political structure has also effect the history and course of the American electrical grid. Electricity-or the access to electricity-is considered a public good which is another factor why the grid is organized the way it is.
Absolutely. People think that wind, solar, and batteries will see Moore's Law-style improvements. Not gonna happen.
Very cool! I write handwritten notes every day: lists, ideas, diagrams (lots for work). I find it to be the best way (for my brain) to really learn and get those things into my mental models. I've been thinking about doing a bigger project that takes more time and thought, and this is nice inspiration.
Joshua, I agree. It's a great way to learn and to explore history in a unique way, which is why I started these. Glad you like it and I hope you start your bigger project.
Fun fact, the Niagara project by Westinghouse was two phase, not three phase, as were all original Westinghouse projects. General Electric held the patents to the three phase system. The "Scott-Tee" transformer connection was developed to interconnect two phase and three phase systems.
Some excellent and old books to read, Edison and the Electric Light Industry, Men and Volts: The Story of General Electric, and PG&E of California: The Centennial Story of Pacific Gas and Electric. Iron Men and Copper Wires: a Centennial Story of Southern California Edison is rich in pictures but lighter in content.
This is great. Hopefully they are on Audible!