On 25 Mar 2017 at 0:36, Alex Goodwin wrote:

> GT: Starports gave me the impression that (at least) Imperial
> starports make a point of both being able to generate their own power,
> independent of local grid (assuming there IS one), and being able,
> subject to director's discretion, to black start same

More stories from the Great Blackout.

One hospital had just had a backup generator installed. So the guy in
charge of that sort of thing smiled and press the start button. And
nothing happened.

Seems the fuel pump needed power to start things and they didn't have
enough battery power... I seem to recall something about running
hoses up several floors and then using a funnel to get enough
pressure to start.

Another hosp[ital's backup generator started just fine. But it was
next to the East River, and the generator was in one of the
sub-basements. and the sump pumps weren't on the emergency power
board. So they lost power when the generator room flooded.

So being required to have backup power or the ability to cold start
just means that gear is installed. Doesn't mean that it'll actually
*work* when the real thing comes along. Not even if it has been
tested.

Usually it's a *real* mess trying to *realistically* test emergency
power. You can make sure the generator runs, but unless you actually
cut the main power completely, and without warning, you can't *know*
that everything will work.

A company I used to work for had *two* power feeds coming in from
different power companies. This was because losing power would be
really bad for some of the processes they had running.

On top of that, for one *really* important process, they literally
had a room full of heavy duty batteries to keep power up long enough
to shut that process down without ruining all the product that was in
process. No way was there enough to keep *that* section running.

Anyway, we lost power several times in spite of all that.

as I recall one was a failure of our switchover gear. Another was two
*seperate* accidents taking out both power lines. And I think another
was a regional thing that took out both companies feeds to that part
of town.

So no matter what sort of backup systems you have sooner or later
they'll fail.

--
Leonard Erickson (aka shadow)
shadow at shadowgard dot com