Electricity sub-station explosion

big_white_dog84 · 9 May 2008 at 18:34

I found out a bit more about it.
The engineer was manually operating the tapchanger on a 132kV / 11kV transformer. This is not a common thing - usually the tapchanger is automatic and can at least be controlled from a remote location.
There will be a formal report from the HSE at a later date.

iKettles · 9 May 2008 at 19:13

big_white_dog84 said:
I found out a bit more about it.
The engineer was manually operating the tapchanger on a 132kV / 11kV transformer. This is not a common thing - usually the tapchanger is automatic and can at least be controlled from a remote location.
There will be a formal report from the HSE at a later date.

Got a source for this info? Sounds interesting.

Steve · 9 May 2008 at 20:48

iKettles said:
Got a source for this info? Sounds interesting.

Indeed I work for the company in question and we have yet to have an offical response at work. :confused:

big_white_dog84 · 9 May 2008 at 21:49

Source is the Electricity Networks Association. All manual tap changes will now have been suspended across the UK until the cause of the explosion is discovered.

Steve · 9 May 2008 at 22:07

Such a shame we have been having a massive safty drive at work recently due to some other terrible loses in the last 12 months and to have this happen is awful.

I am sure we will get an official responce at work on Monday

Teknobry · 10 May 2008 at 01:25

big_white_dog84 said:
I found out a bit more about it.
The engineer was manually operating the tapchanger on a 132kV / 11kV transformer. This is not a common thing - usually the tapchanger is automatic and can at least be controlled from a remote location.
There will be a formal report from the HSE at a later date.

?

Plenty of transformers can have their tap changers done manually. I don't think any though can be done whilst live (manually that is) sounds like someone seriously Fully star out swearwords up with the switching!

Scuzi · 10 May 2008 at 01:32

I thought for a minute we had another OcUK copper thief on our hands.

big_white_dog84 · 10 May 2008 at 08:22

Teknobry said:
Plenty of transformers can have their tap changers done manually.

Yes, most CAN. However there are very few occasions when there is the requirement to do so. Anyone that has ever switched on the high voltage networks will know that it is done from a remote location wherever possible.

nutcase · 10 May 2008 at 09:02

I think we're running on a generator at the moment, there's a large one plonked by the local substation.

big_white_dog84 · 10 May 2008 at 12:31

nutcase_1uk said:
I think we're running on a generator at the moment, there's a large one plonked by the local substation.

Depending on the network configuration it's very possible. I would have thought that there would be sufficient redundancy built into the network at that voltage to keep most customers on supply, but without seeing the network diagram I wouldn't know. If they're replacing the failed transformer you will be on a generator for a long time!

"andy" · 10 May 2008 at 12:47

Soviet said:
I'd hate to deal with electricity (especially those voltages). That stuff scares the jeebus outta me.

when i was 16 i was determined to work on the sites as an electrician. nearly a year into my training i realised "**** this is waaaay to scary"

Grimley · 10 May 2008 at 19:02

I wondered what that cloud above Chelmsford was when I was driving back to the depot from my round the other day. My sympathies to the dead blokes family.

nutcase · 10 May 2008 at 20:43

big_white_dog84 said:
Depending on the network configuration it's very possible. I would have thought that there would be sufficient redundancy built into the network at that voltage to keep most customers on supply, but without seeing the network diagram I wouldn't know. If they're replacing the failed transformer you will be on a generator for a long time!

I think it was a very major component of the network that got taken out, as it was only today that the last few hundred properties have got their supply back :eek:

When a sub-station blew up in Witham about 3 years ago, where I worked had a similar sized generator dumped in the car park by the leccy board as it was going to take them days to sort it out.

Monkeynut · 10 May 2008 at 21:01

This electrical substation that exploded...
It wasn't built by Q-Tec was it?

Trifid · 10 May 2008 at 21:03

Monkeynut said:
This electrical substation that exploded...
It wasn't built by Q-Tec was it?

I believe it had "made in England" embossed onto it though.

Monkeynut · 10 May 2008 at 21:07

That's even worse!

nutcase · 10 May 2008 at 22:22

nutcase_1uk said:
I think it was a very major component of the network that got taken out, as it was only today that the last few hundred properties have got their supply back

When a sub-station blew up in Witham about 3 years ago, where I worked had a similar sized generator dumped in the car park by the leccy board as it was going to take them days to sort it out.

Typical, a few mins after posting, power went off again. Just come back on (to the internetz!!!!).

nutcase · 11 May 2008 at 21:01

How wierd is that? After resetting countless clocks for the umpteenth time, we noticed a few hours later that a lot of them are running 10 minutes fast!

I guess the generator they've supplied doesn't spin at 50Hz....

We're on super mains

TaKeN · 11 May 2008 at 21:53

Scuzi said:
I thought for a minute we had another OcUK copper thief on our hands.

Who was the first ? :eek: