Comments on: Eyeballing the Mindanao Disturbance http://asianenergyadvisors.com/2007/10/29/eyeballing-the-mindanao-disturbance/ Focused on the Philippine Electricity Sector Thu, 04 Feb 2010 08:56:48 +0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Nick Nichols http://asianenergyadvisors.com/2007/10/29/eyeballing-the-mindanao-disturbance/comment-page-1/#comment-26148 Nick Nichols Tue, 30 Oct 2007 05:49:58 +0000 http://asianenergyadvisors.com/2007/10/29/eyeballing-the-mindanao-disturbance/#comment-26148 <a href="http://www.mindanews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3166&Itemid=50" rel="nofollow">Mindanews reports</a> that Emmanuel Abellanosa, Transco Assistant Vice President for Mindanao, says the cause of the problem was a conductor "flashover" (somehow related to an insulator, it seems) in the switchyard of Agus 6 Hydroelectric Power Plant in Iligan City. A flashover is not a glitch. The fact that a "flashover" occurred is one thing - it's a matter for the Transco engineers and maintenance crews to address. But the fact that a "flashover" took down 90% of the Mindanao grid is a matter of public concern (we're paying, afterall, for every peso Transco spends and invests). It may be that a "cure" for that situation is hugely expensive and we all might just agree that we take the risk of recurrence. But the conversation isn't engaged. We have no knowledge. We have no venue for input. That's the type of environment that a "public utility" should think about changing. Mindanews reports that Emmanuel Abellanosa, Transco Assistant Vice President for Mindanao, says the cause of the problem was a conductor “flashover” (somehow related to an insulator, it seems) in the switchyard of Agus 6 Hydroelectric Power Plant in Iligan City.

A flashover is not a glitch.

The fact that a “flashover” occurred is one thing – it’s a matter for the Transco engineers and maintenance crews to address. But the fact that a “flashover” took down 90% of the Mindanao grid is a matter of public concern (we’re paying, afterall, for every peso Transco spends and invests). It may be that a “cure” for that situation is hugely expensive and we all might just agree that we take the risk of recurrence. But the conversation isn’t engaged. We have no knowledge. We have no venue for input. That’s the type of environment that a “public utility” should think about changing.

]]> By: Nick Nichols http://asianenergyadvisors.com/2007/10/29/eyeballing-the-mindanao-disturbance/comment-page-1/#comment-26124 Nick Nichols Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:40:15 +0000 http://asianenergyadvisors.com/2007/10/29/eyeballing-the-mindanao-disturbance/#comment-26124 Bambi Capulong of Transco <a href="http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=97369" rel="nofollow">says</a> it was a "technical glitch" occurring at 1:04 pm on a Sunday afternoon that caused caused 90% of the whole Transco/Napocor Mindanao power grid to collapse. But if it was indeed a "glitch" - and they could certainly tell if it was a glitch or not because it is standard operating procedure to have in each and every Transco substation a "glitch detector" that "measures any false or spurious electronic signal that may be caused by a brief, unwanted surge of electric power" and turns on a red light on the panel. So all they have to do is see if that red light is on or not - if it was indeed a glitch then there were other things going on at time that compounded the immediate impact of the glitch. The system is designed to withstand a single contingency - if a relay fails due to a glitch, then the system should remain stable even if a single circuit is tripped. But if other conditions are also not normal, then the failure can cascade - that is probably what happened. But Transco is not disclosing what the other conditions were that contributed to the cascade. Or it could be <a href="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view_article.php?article_id=97401" rel="nofollow">disgruntled employees</a>. Or it could be that the <a href="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view_article.php?article_id=97438" rel="nofollow">Palawano tuko</a> has migrated. Bambi Capulong of Transco says it was a “technical glitch” occurring at 1:04 pm on a Sunday afternoon that caused caused 90% of the whole Transco/Napocor Mindanao power grid to collapse. But if it was indeed a “glitch” – and they could certainly tell if it was a glitch or not because it is standard operating procedure to have in each and every Transco substation a “glitch detector” that “measures any false or spurious electronic signal that may be caused by a brief, unwanted surge of electric power” and turns on a red light on the panel. So all they have to do is see if that red light is on or not – if it was indeed a glitch then there were other things going on at time that compounded the immediate impact of the glitch. The system is designed to withstand a single contingency – if a relay fails due to a glitch, then the system should remain stable even if a single circuit is tripped. But if other conditions are also not normal, then the failure can cascade – that is probably what happened. But Transco is not disclosing what the other conditions were that contributed to the cascade.

Or it could be disgruntled employees. Or it could be that the Palawano tuko has migrated.

]]> By: teodoro http://asianenergyadvisors.com/2007/10/29/eyeballing-the-mindanao-disturbance/comment-page-1/#comment-26100 teodoro Mon, 29 Oct 2007 15:26:20 +0000 http://asianenergyadvisors.com/2007/10/29/eyeballing-the-mindanao-disturbance/#comment-26100 Any thoughts on what caused this incident? Any thoughts on what caused this incident?

]]>