"Peter Duck" wrote in message
...
In message
Rod wrote:

... Mention of HVDC reminds me that the Channel link is one such (at
least, I think that's what I remember). So that prompts me to ask, how
closely synchronised are the UK and France, and indeed the other
European countries with each other?

UK-France, like all lengthy underwater/undergound (i.e. high
capacitance) links, is DC, so obviating any need for synchronism.

Don't know about the rest of Europe, but inter-system links elsewhere,
even when 'overhead', are often DC primarily to avoid the need for sync.


Indeed. There were a few 'experiments' to get the eastern and western US
grids in sync a couple of times in the '70's or '80's. Could get them
there, but the few tie-lines they were using couldn't carry enough power to
keep them in sync. As soon as one side of the country started to
slow/speedup, the amount of load that would start flowing required the line
to trip open. Then slowly work them back in sync again, and try it again.
Gave up after a while. Not much use in it.

But the US does have several HVDC links between grid segments. This allows
power transfer without synching. (and better control of the power flow)

daestrom