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Author Topic: New power station - need to be concerned? Gavin Lewarne Master Film Handler Posts: 278 From: Plymouth, UK Registered: Aug 2009 posted 09-23-2009 08:28 AM                     There is a new power station coming online in our city over the next week or so. we have all been told to expect some minor power outages and to make sure that all sensitive equipment is properly protected behind ripple filters. How does this affect conema equipment? in our case, we have no battery or generator backup, and the rectifiers are tied right into a three phase supply from a local substation. Do i need to worry about the rectifiers / lamps? should i make sure all the sound equipment is plugged into a surge protector?  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-23-2009 09:28 AM                     A night when the theater is closed you can unplug any sensitive equipment or open all the circuit breakers leading to any other equipment you need to protect. It'll be a pain in the butt having to disconnect everything at night and reconnect it in the morning. If the theater is open there isn't much you can do. You must have the electricity on or you can't do business. Short of all this, getting surge protection for all your sensitive equipment is the only thing I can think of. You can always use this as an excuse to get some.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-23-2009 10:26 AM                     If you have any "on all the time" digital gear it should be on a UPS. Also, consult with the power company to see when it is comming on-line so you can be shut down... if you or they feel that is even necessary. Mark  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 09-23-2009 10:41 AM                        I would assume that these people are professionals who know how to deliver power correctly so there should be no concern. BTW: for the US folks: 240/50Hz in Britain also they tend to have markedly fewer power transformers in an area unlike here where there is a transformer for almost every business. This matters a little bit since loads on the secondary "talk" to each other more in the UK. Louis  |  IP: Logged Matt Skilton Film Handler Posts: 43 From: Bromley, Kent, UK Registered: May 2009 posted 09-23-2009 12:02 PM                        We've been having a few power surges these past few weeks and it creates a tense atmosphere because one nearly caused everything to shut off. All you can do is be prepared to leg it round your booth(s) to make sure everything is okay. However, one surge caused our digital projector to change format. Instead of playing on full screen it decided to only play the image on the left hand side. Easily fixed by hitting the desired format button but I was worried for a moment.  |  IP: Logged Gavin Lewarne Master Film Handler Posts: 278 From: Plymouth, UK Registered: Aug 2009 posted 09-23-2009 12:43 PM                     thanks for the info guys! i will call the natiuonal grid tomorrow to clarify the situation and see what they recommend. for the moment, everything important is now on surge protectors (should have always been really!) and the sound rack is on a new UPS. will let you know what they say  |  IP: Logged Gordon Bachlund Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 696 From: Monrovia, CA, USA Registered: Aug 1999 posted 09-23-2009 01:06 PM                        Echoing Randy, I would recommend the addition of Transient Voltage Surge Supressors. With the proper unit, this can be done at the main service switchboard, assuming there is room for the required circuit breaker or fused switch. As for Gavin's situation, it appears he is well covered.  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-23-2009 07:38 PM                     I have a question about surge protection equipment. I know that the majority of those surge protection gizmos that you install into your home breaker panels are mostly snake oil. But, in the last few years I've seen special circuit breakers that are supposed to trip or something if there is a surge on the line. You can buy a standard circuit breaker from Home Depot for an average of $10.00. These special anti-surge breakers were nearly $100.00. I just can't see how one of these devices could do anything more than an ordinary surge suppressor does. Anybody know about these things? Are they worth it? Or are they just snake oil like everything else?  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-23-2009 08:35 PM                     I have had good luck with all the TVSS units that one adds to the side of the breaker panel again one must read the specs and determin the amount of protection one needs  |  IP: Logged Phil Blake Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 558 From: esperance western australia Registered: Nov 2003 posted 09-24-2009 05:24 AM                        Well i hope your transition is smoother than ours. They traded our 8 big diesels for 6 gas turbines couple of years back , our power has never been more unreliable every time we have bad weather power is off. We are supposed to be 240vac it varies from 230v to 260v. it has cost us dearly with burn out power supplies we now run everything we can on UPS. lately we have been experiencing expolding transformers all over the town. Lucky we have a 80kva John Deere gen set for backup and we put the new digital on a real big UPS. Sometimes the new technology does not always work as planned.  |  IP: Logged Rick Raskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1100 From: Manassas Virginia Registered: Jan 2003 posted 09-24-2009 02:19 PM                     FWIW: The company I worked for went on a turbine kick in the 1970s and installed them in many new locations. Now that most of them have reached their end of life cycle they are being (have been) replaced with diesels. I'm told they found the turbines to be maintenance hogs and not as reliable. I do remember during one particularly harsh winter storm we took all of our COs off of the grid and ran engines for four days. That helped the utilities in four states meet the unprecedented demand.  |  IP: Logged Phil Blake Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 558 From: esperance western australia Registered: Nov 2003 posted 09-24-2009 09:59 PM                        The other big issue with our new gas turbine power station was the location, they built it at the local wharf about 300 yards from the ocean, the wharf being the towns largest power consumer they wanted to bypass the state owned distribution system. Just after being commissioned we suffered a big storm, high seas etc, the turbines sucked in heaps of seawater spray and 5 of the six turbines were wrecked and the sixth one was outputting half power. most of the town was blacked out for 3 days until skid mounted gensets could be trucked in from the city. we were real glad we had our John Deere to rely on during that period.  |  IP: Logged Gavin Lewarne Master Film Handler Posts: 278 From: Plymouth, UK Registered: Aug 2009 posted 09-24-2009 11:53 PM                     well, i called the national grid yesterday, and they said there might be a concern as we have a straight tie in to the 3 phase, but not to be too worried. Most of the transitions are going to happen between 2am and 5am so i will keep everything isolated at the breakers for the next 2 weeks. It is worrying considering the station is going to be the UK's largest gas turbine station, and some of you have not had much luck with them!  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-25-2009 02:13 PM                     Over here they m,ainly use gas turbine stations as peakers when the grid drops below a certain voltage. The peakers help keep them constant during high demand periods.  |  IP: Logged Mark Hajducki Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 500 From: Edinburgh, UK Registered: May 2003 posted 09-25-2009 08:34 PM                     Make a plan of what to do if there is a power outage when shows are running (to minimize damage, and keep customers happy). If you are in an old building which has been upgraded (screens added etc.) over time make sure that you (and all your tech staff) know where all the breaker switches are for your site, and what keys they need to access them. Work out what equipment/screen is on each phase as you may not loose all three phases. (I was very puzzled the first time that happened when I was working) quote: Gavin Lewarne Most of the transitions are going to happen between 2am and 5am so i will keep everything isolated at the breakers for the next 2 weeks. It may be worth looking at the non projection kit as well, however some of this will have to be left on (fridges, box office servers etc.)  |  IP: Logged

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