course_planning:184_projects:f17_project_11

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powerlines.jpeg

Word is starting to get out about your teams increasing expertise in electricity and magnetism. The mayor, Virginia Bernera, of nearby Springfield has reached out to you and your team to consult about a recent problem with the town's power lines. A few nights ago, after curfew, something came through the town and tore down all the power lines, including the transformer for the incoming transmission line from Lakeview. Whatever it was, all the wires are chewed up and torn, and there are deep claw marks on the utility poles, which luckily are still standing. Nobody in the town seems to know what happened, and the residents of Springfield are pretty spooked. In any case, the mystery can wait for another day – Springfield needs its power back as soon as possible.

There is an incoming transmission line on the edge of Springfield from which you need to set up the power lines that will run through the whole town. Mayor Bernera has supplied you with some specifications: Each power line will be erected to connect the transformer from the incoming transmission line to the homes and businesses in Springfield. Each line is $5 \text{ km}$ long and is made of a metal alloy with $0.008 \text{ $\Omega$/m}$ of resistance.

The most important decision in this reconstruction process is to determine which transformer to install at the incoming transmission line. A given transformer will create a specified voltage drop from the transmission to the residential area. However, there are some risks associated with your choice. One risk is that the electric field along the line will heat up up the wire and cause it to melt, which will happen when the electric field reaches $3 \text{ kV/m}$. Another risk is that the line may create a magnetic field on the ground that is dangerous for people walking around and may interfere with portable electronics. The safety limit for the magnetic field is $10 \text{ mT}$.

You have three options for your choice of transformer. The voltage drop on the line from the functioning transmission line to the residential area can be $1 \text{ MV}$, $10 \text{ MV}$, or $100 \text{ MV}$. Evaluate each decision and produce a recommendation based on the safety concerns and the power that the transformer will produce for Springfield.

  • course_planning/184_projects/f17_project_11.1510076302.txt.gz
  • Last modified: 2017/11/07 17:38
  • by dmcpadden