Blackouts and Brownouts

Today we will be looking at brownouts and black outs

• whether they are dangerous are not
• and what causes them

Blackout and Brownouts

A blackout is a complete interruption of power in an area.it comes without a warning and can last for a long period of time. a brownout however is a temporary intentional or non intentional drop of current.

Are Blackouts Dangerous? 

In a way blackouts are dangerous because a sudden blackout for example while working with a sharp object or walking into or out of a storage room and a there is a sudden blackout chances are you could slip and fall or get injured in the darkness.

Causes of Blackouts and Brownouts

This reduction typically has minimal effect on heat and lighting systems, most of which can function reliably for short periods on sub-optimal voltage, but sensitive electronic equipment requiring reasonably precise voltages may not be able to function and long-term brownouts can cause premature wear in non-electronic devices. Computer disk drives often suffer write failures when supplied with sub optimal voltage, and electric motors tend to run hotter when required to produce the same horsepower during a brownout. Normal fluctuations in voltage do not qualify as brownouts. System voltage in many service areas can vary by as much as five percent above or below “nominal” line voltage. Manufacturers of electrical and electronic products know this. Most North American consumer and commercial products are designed to function normally and safely for long periods at voltages ranging from 115 to 125 volts.

Blackouts

Rolling blackouts typically occur with at least some advance warning, normally last for a fixed length of time, and are deliberately produced by utility companies. They can be used as a means of coping with peak power demands that cannot be met from existing supply. Rolling blackouts are usually intended to affect only a specific service area, and the energy provider will typically spread these blackouts among several service areas to insure that no specific area suffers substantially more than any other. Planned outages and rolling blackouts differ slightly in that planned outages are usually announced well in advance and are most commonly needed to allow for routine maintenance, while rolling blackouts can occur with relatively little warning and are intended to take stress off of the system’s energy load.









































Reference,Bob Braun June 11,2015,WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BROWNOUTS AND BLACKOUTS??-WHY YOU SHOULD BE CONCERNED!!, Date retrieved, November 13,2017,http://gotpower.com/brownouts-and-blackouts/