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Why are ultra high voltages used to carry electricity over transmission lines?
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
In general, it is cheaper to transport power long distances at higher voltage levels. Do not take this as a rule as always being cheaper, otherwise you would have a 500kV line into your home.
The resistance in the power company's lines is not zero. There is always going to be some loss in quality whenever energy is transferred. Thus, when electricity is transferred, the power dissipated by the lines, even lines with a REALLY small resistance, like 1 micro-ohm per mile, adds up when one counts the millions of linear miles across which electricity is transmitted. The power dissipated can be calculated with the formula, P= VI, which through Ohm's law becomes P = (I^2) x R, where P = Power dissipated, V = voltage, I= current, and R= resistance. Thus, using the same resistance wire and the same power source, a higher voltage will have a lower current and less power will be dissipated as heat.
It is not cheaper to transport electric power at high voltages. What we are looking for is the smallest amount of loss during that transfer. The higher the voltage the lower the percentage of loss for a given diameter of wire. The costs associated with stations to step up and down power and to maintain these stations is very high. What the goal is here though is making as much power as possible reach our final destination. This is also why we use aluminum wire for transfer rather then copper. It is all about reduced loss, cost is a secondary concern.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoTo reduce the power losses or conduction losses in transmission lines. - Yes its right.
I will give a slightly improved answer.
The size of coper conductor used for transmission lines is inversely proportional to the square of voltage transmitted.
Hence normally for long transmission lines the voltage is increased to a very high value so as to reduce the amount of copper conductor used, hence reduce losses.
AnswerFor a given load, the higher the supply voltage the lower the load current. The primary reason for using high-voltage transmission lines is to reduce the otherwise enormous voltage drops that would take place along the lines. The secondary reasons are to enable the use of conductors of practical size, and to minimise line losses.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoHigh voltage lines are used for power transmission because the high voltage means that less current flows for a given amount of energy transmitted. The lower current flow means that the heating effect in the wires is smaller, so the wires stay cooler and lose less energy through heating.
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Why 22kv 11kv 33kv 132kv 220 kv are standard transmission voltages in transmission lines why not 20kv 10kv etc?
Its just a matter of standard. In my area, for instance, we use 13.2 KV for distribution lines, and 69 KV / 138 KV for transmission lines.
Why are power lines run at high voltages?
Power lines run at high voltages to overcome line loss.
How does electricity get to a plug?
The electricity is produced by large generators in a power plant.Transformers in the power plant yard step up the voltage to more than half a million volts used by the power transmission lines.Power transmission lines carry the electricity over long distances between the power plants and cities.Transformers in a switching yard step the voltage down to 1000 to 5000 volts used by power distribution lines.Power distribution lines carry the electricity short distances between the switching yard and the customer locations.Service drop transformers on the pole or underground step the voltage down to the voltage needed by the customer (e.g. 220 volts center taped for household, 240 volt 3 phase for commercial, 480 volt 3 phase for industrial).Service drop lines carry the electricity from the service drop transformer to the customer's electric meter.Internal main wiring carries the electricity from the electric meter to the breaker box.Wires from the breakers in the breaker box to outlets carry the electricity to the outlet sockets.When you put a plug in an outlet socket, the plug gets electricity.
How are step up transformers used in the transmission of electric energy?
Step-up Transformers used in the transmission of electrical energy increase the voltage going over Transmission Lines (over 100,000 Volts). For a given amount of POWER to be Transmitted, the higher the Voltage, the LOWER the CURRENT. This reduces the amount of Power LOST to the Resistance of the Transmission Lines. Power Lost is calculated by the Formula: POWER Lost = I2 x R, where I=Current and R=Resistance So, the lower the Current (I), the lower the transmission line losses. At the end of the Transmission Path the Voltage is "Stepped Down" to a value usable for the Customer, usually (220 volts for Residential use in the USA).
Lightning carries Alternating current or Direct Current?
Power lines carry electricity as alternating current.
What are electrical transmission towers for?
Electrical transmission towers are meant to hold the power lines and to carry electricity.
What is transmission line amps rating?
High power transmission lines carry several hundred amperes up to 2000 amps at voltages up to 500 kV or higher
What are the voltages in secondary transmission electric lines?
A: Those voltages are called distribution voltages to differentiate from transmission voltages. And that varies from state to state and locals . Usually around 10kv to 20 kv
What is the word which means 'conductor carrying electricity over large distance with minimum losses' - clue it wl have a 'miss' syllable in it?
Transmission lines are used to carry electricity.
Why are transformers used for transmission of electricity into your home?
The voltage provided by power company are higher what your home uses so transformers step down the voltage for your house. Higher voltages in your home would cause a potential safety hazard. The higher voltages on transmission lines are used to cope with voltage drops over long distances.
What are some properties of current electricity?
transmission lines
Why is ac electricity transformed?
'Transform' means to increase or to decrease an a.c. voltage. Transformers are used to step up lower voltages to higher voltages, or vice-versa. Transformers are an essential component of electricity transmission and distribution systems, as they allow voltage levels to be changed very efficiently. For a given load, the higher the supply voltage, the lower the resulting load current. So very high voltages are necessary in transmission systems in order to transfer energy with relatively-low values of current -this leads to less voltage drops along the line, less energy losses, etc. Transformers are required to increase voltages for transmission at generating stations, and to reduce voltages for the users at the far end of the transmission/distribution lines. A.C. is actually less-efficient than d.c. for long transmission lines, but is more widely used because it is very complicated to transform d.c. voltage levels, because transformers do not work with d.c.
What supplies electricity?
HT is High Tension - usually voltages in excess of 1kV in electronics, but in Transmission Lines it could be much higher - perhaps over 25kV.It loosely signifies that there may be an unexpected danger in the apparatus.
What power lines send electricity over a nationwide network?
Transmission lines
What are some useful properties of current electricity?
transmission lines
Why 22kv 11kv 33kv 132kv 220 kv are standard transmission voltages in transmission lines why not 20kv 10kv etc?
Its just a matter of standard. In my area, for instance, we use 13.2 KV for distribution lines, and 69 KV / 138 KV for transmission lines.
What are the examples of electricity?
One example of current electricity are transmission lines. These bring electricity from power stations to individual houses.
