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From: squishy@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Shishin Yamada)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Power Plants
Summary: Wait! I did not write that
Keywords: Power Plants
Message-ID: <2725@casbah.acns.nwu.edu>
Date: 18 Jan 91 00:26:41 GMT
References: <2573@casbah.acns.nwu.edu> <5834@rsiatl.Dixie.Com> <10104@as0c.sei.cmu.edu>
Organization: Northwestern University
Lines: 24

Richard:

	Sorry, I did not write the initial question. I was the one who
stated that the power plant was being run as a large synchronous motor. The
reason being that it was being used as storage for reactive power to
normalize for disturbances in the transmission network.

	If I remember correctly, these were called something like
synchronous stabilizers. To the Transmission Line it looks like a Thevenin
equivalent of a large capacitor (or inductor in other cases). It acts as a
generator in this case supplying VARs if needed. These storage devices were
first used to correct phase errors around the 1920s. 

	Nowdays, switching capacitor banks are easier and cheaper to use.
Phase error causes loss of real power because the current and voltage are
out of phase.

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Shishin _Squish_ Yamada			Northwestern University
Evanston, IL				EE Class of 1991
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Down with Sadam! (At this time, missiles have supposedly hit Tel Aviv: AP
news 6:30pm Thurs). God help us.