Induced atmospheric vibration was the cause of the Spanish power outage | Forexlive
The Portuguese grid operator — REN — is out with a diagnosis of what happened with the huge power outage today:
- Due to extreme temperature variations in the interior of Spain, there were anomalous oscillations in very high volatge lines, something called ‘induced atmospheric vibration’
- These osculations cause synchronization failures between the electrical systems
- It’s a complex phenomenon and there is a need to rebalance electricity flows internationally, it could take a week to fix
That’s fascinating.
Here is how DeepSeek explains it:
Induced Atmospheric Vibration (IAV) in high-voltage power lines refers to low-frequency oscillations (typically 0.1–10 Hz) caused by corona discharge effects near the conductors. Here’s a brief breakdown:
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Cause:
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When high-voltage lines operate near their corona inception threshold, ionization of surrounding air molecules occurs, creating space charges (ions and electrons).
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Under
certain conditions (e.g., high humidity, rough conductor surfaces),
these charges interact with the electric field, generating periodic electrohydrodynamic (EHD) forces.
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Mechanism:
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The EHD forces induce pressure waves in the air, causing vibrations in the conductor or nearby objects (e.g., insulators).
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Unlike aeolian vibration (caused by wind) or galloping (large-amplitude motion), IAV is driven purely by electrical-atmospheric coupling.
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Effects:
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Mitigation:
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Smooth conductor surfaces (e.g., polished or coated wires).
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Optimized voltage gradients to minimize corona.
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IAV
is less common than mechanical vibrations but is studied for its unique
electromechanical interactions. …
The vibrations can lead to fatigue cracks and loosened hardware.
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