In this blog post, we will look at how smart grids can solve the problem of blackouts caused by power storage limitations and frequency mismatches.
On September 15, 2011, a large-scale power outage occurred suddenly in Gangnam-gu and Yeouido in Seoul, South Korea, as well as in Gangwon and Chungcheong provinces. This was the first time such a simultaneous power outage had occurred in South Korea. Traffic lights flashed, traffic came to a standstill, control tower lights went out, causing temporary disruption to air traffic, and production was halted at other industrial sites, resulting in huge economic losses. Such a large-scale power outage is called a blackout. Electricity can be produced, so why do blackouts occur, causing large-scale power outages?
In South Korea, approximately 59 power plants generate electricity, which is supplied to industrial sites, households, and businesses. One of the most important characteristics of electricity is that it cannot be stored. Since excess electricity disappears, Korea Electric Power Corporation recognizes that matching electricity production and consumption is its most important task and monitors it in real time. Blackouts occur when the amount of electricity consumed exceeds the amount supplied, causing the power generation system to shut down.
At this point, one may wonder why the power generation system stops when consumption increases, as the supply can simply be increased. This is due to another property of electricity: frequency. Electricity is wave energy that vibrates at a constant frequency. When electricity with different frequencies meet, they cancel each other out or distort each other and cannot be used together. A constant frequency is produced by rotating turbines at a constant speed in power plants. Power plants synchronize the speed of their turbines to within 0.1 seconds so that they can produce electricity that can be combined. When turbines rotate, they are subjected to load, which refers to the fatigue and pressure that a machine experiences when it is working. When a machine is subjected to a heavy load, we say that it is overloaded. If consumption exceeds supply, the turbines at the power plant will run at a higher load than before to increase supply, and as the load becomes heavier, the speed of the turbines may slow down. If this speed slows down beyond a certain limit, electricity with different frequencies is produced, destroying the electrical system, so the system shuts down the turbine. When one turbine is shut down, the other turbines receive a greater load, and another turbine stops, repeating the phenomenon like a domino effect, resulting in all power plants stopping and all electricity being cut off.
Therefore, due to the property of electricity that it cannot be stored and that only electricity of the same frequency can be combined without cancellation or distortion, a blackout occurs when electricity consumption exceeds a certain limit.
Various measures are necessary to prevent blackouts. First, citizens must voluntarily conserve electricity and reduce electricity consumption during peak hours in accordance with government policies. The government can prevent blackouts by establishing policies to regulate consumption when it exceeds a certain level and securing power plants that can be operated in similar situations. In addition, it is necessary to develop technologies that monitor and control power production and consumption in real time by introducing a smart grid system. Smart grid systems maximize the efficiency of power grids and enable environmentally friendly power supply by increasing the share of renewable energy.
Blackouts are not a problem unique to South Korea. There have been cases of blackouts in many countries around the world. The large-scale power outage that occurred in the United States and Canada in 2003 affected more than 50 million people. This incident exposed the vulnerability of the power grid and highlighted the need for modernization of power systems and smart grids. In addition, a large-scale power outage in India in 2012 affected approximately 600 million people, once again reminding us of the importance of power management systems.
These cases demonstrate the need for international cooperation and information sharing to prevent blackouts. It is important for countries to share their experiences and technologies and cooperate with each other to improve the stability of power systems. This will enable us to address the vulnerabilities of power grids and establish systems that can respond quickly in the event of a blackout.
Blackouts occur due to the inability to store electricity and the characteristics of frequency. To prevent this, comprehensive measures are needed, including voluntary electricity conservation efforts by the public, government regulations, and the introduction of smart grids. Through international examples, we can learn the importance of cooperation in preventing blackouts, which will enable us to build safer and more stable power systems.
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