Increasing Grid transmission capacity

[dan_b]

National Grid testing new "Dynamic Line Rating" technology to see if it can increase Grid transmission capacity on the existing wires.

https://renews.biz/81246/national-grid- ... -capacity/

[Oldgreybeard]

National Grid testing new "Dynamic Line Rating" technology to see if it can increase Grid transmission capacity on the existing wires.

https://renews.biz/81246/national-grid- ... -capacity/

Makes sense. Most of the time the distribution network runs at fairly conservative ratings to allow for local effects that might push up temperature. What they really need is a better way of monitoring and this sounds like it may be an answer. Got to make more sense than constantly flying helicopters along cable routes with a thermal imaging system, looking for hot spots. These helos seem to operate all the time, a look at FlightRadar24 will normally find one or two of them flying over lines on any flyable day.

[nowty]

If its a windy day in winter they will be cooler but if its a calm sunny day in summer they will be hotter.

[Oldgreybeard]

If this works, then the most useful gain would be to increase the north to south capacity. I believe that part of the curtailment of wind problem is caused by the transmission limits in getting power from one end of the country to the other. If they can safely uprate those lines during high demand periods when there is a surfeit of northern wind generation then that could be a very useful benefit.

[smegal]

National Grid testing new "Dynamic Line Rating" technology to see if it can increase Grid transmission capacity on the existing wires.

https://renews.biz/81246/national-grid- ... -capacity/

Makes sense. Most of the time the distribution network runs at fairly conservative ratings to allow for local effects that might push up temperature. What they really need is a better way of monitoring and this sounds like it may be an answer. Got to make more sense than constantly flying helicopters along cable routes with a thermal imaging system, looking for hot spots. These helos seem to operate all the time, a look at FlightRadar24 will normally find one or two of them flying over lines on any flyable day.

Interestingly, part of my housing estate had a power cut while this was happening. They must have found something pretty interesting to warrant turning the power off.

[GarethC]

I don't quite understand the impact statement. 600MW? Clearly that's not the total increase in UK network capacity, as that would be buttons. Can anyone summarise the potential % increase in transmission line capacity?

[dan_b]

So according to this article on Wikipediea
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_l ... _utilities

"dynamic line rating sensors may sometimes warranty up to 30% more power transit in the monitored lines"

Essentially - if you can drive the existing cables 30% harder with a small capital investment you can delay the more expensive larger capital investment of a completely new set of transmission lines for longer?

30% sounds pretty significant.

[GarethC]

Even allowing for a bit of marketing exaggeration, if 20% is attainable on lines otherwise at capacity, that's an extremely worthwhile improvement. Exciting. I've been worrying about how quickly we can improve grid capacity.

[Swwils]

They really shouldn't be trying this in winter, why were they not proactive earlier?

[Stinsy]

They really shouldn't be trying this in winter, why were they not proactive earlier?

Surely winter is the best time to be trying it!

I guess the colder it is the more they'll be able to "overclock" the cables!