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From: frankb@hpsad.HP.COM (Frank Ball)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Alternate Realities (was Re: cows and high tension wires)
Message-ID: <1840017@hpsad.HP.COM>
Date: 6 Dec 89 01:15:06 GMT
References: <924@dms.UUCP>
Organization: HP Signal Analysis Division - Rohnert Park, CA
Lines: 20

*From: jack@swlabs.UUCP (Jack Bonn)
*I was wondering: what ever happened to the use of high voltage DC for
*power transmission?  I understood that the high voltage inverters
*needed were technologically feasible, yet I've heard very little of
*this since.  It seems that this could reduce the varying magnetic field,
*thereby reducing the voltage induced in objects nearby.  Of course, this
*would raise the system's efficiency as well.

There is a high voltage DC line on the west coast.  I was at a power
plant on the Columbia River (between WA and OR).  I think it was called
the Bonniville hydroelectric plant or something like that.  They tied 
into this high voltage DC line.  The switch yard for the AC to DC 
conversion was *very* impressive.  It was huge.  I forget what voltage
DC they used but it was around 500 KV or more.   Because of the difficulty
and expense of the AC/DC conversion, they don't use DC for normal power
plant to customer distribution.  This line is used to move power between
power plants in different regions of the west coast, to help even out
supply and demand. 

Frank Ball          frankb@hpsad.HP.COM