• craftrabbit@lemmy.zip
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    3 days ago

    That’s actually really interesting. I’ve seen the styropyro videos but grid-level power sounds like it’s something else entirely. Thanks for taking the time!

    • A_be_seedy@beehaw.org
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      3 days ago

      No problem! This is actually more in the factory level of power than it is grid. 480v is the common voltage inside plants.

      But sometimes you’ll see different voltages (like 380 and 720). 600v and below is considered low voltage, but sometimes 720 is considered low too if its feeding machinery. Everything above that is usually considered high voltage. But the mysterious medium voltage exists too, I’d call that somewhere up to like 20kV.

      The 13kV in this picture is controlled by the plant. Some equipment uses 13kV, but usually plants just get 13kV (or other distribution voltages) and distribute it themselves. It’s really fun equipment to operate, big switches that you have to put your body into, and it makes big mechanical thuds and you’ll hear the electric make and break connections before the switch dies. It sounds like bzzzTHUDmmmmmmm