[ANSS-netops] ANSS-netops Digest, Vol 59, Issue 1

[Greg Steiner]

Climatic events like you are currently experiencing in the midwest occur 
every 10 years or so.You are experiencing the so called perfect storm. 
the last big ones occurred during strong el-nino years.It doesn't help 
that these cloudy periods coincide with cold weather that already has 
reduced the capacity of the batteries.

The only sure cure least expensive way is to increase the capacity of 
the battery plant to account for it. Even in cloudy weather, solar 
panels put out some power. Increasing the available panel size to at 
least carry the load during the day would help, but it is a diminishing 
return for the added cost.

Burying the batteries deeper to keep them warmer would increase their 
capacity, but to be effective they would need to be well below the frost 
line, and that in itself would prove problematical when venting and 
replacement are considered, especially in light of the high water table.

Small wind generators could help a lot, but in the soft sediments of the 
embayment you would pay a big price for it in increased seismic 
background noise that they cause.

Natural gas fired thermoelectric generators are a possibility for 
critical stations, but they can get expensive, 1-2K$. They are the go to 
source in the Canadian networks. Their broadband stations are deeply 
buried and deep snow, limited winter daylight time and cold were the 
obstacles to be overcome.

The only other non power line solutions are primary batteries such as 
lithium or air cells that could be switched in electronically when needed.

Greg Steiner

On 1/5/2015 6:00 AM, anss-netops-request at geohazards.usgs.gov wrote:
> Send ANSS-netops mailing list submissions to
> 	anss-netops at geohazards.usgs.gov
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> 	https://geohazards.usgs.gov/mailman/listinfo/anss-netops
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
> 	anss-netops-request at geohazards.usgs.gov
>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
> 	anss-netops-owner at geohazards.usgs.gov
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of ANSS-netops digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
>     1. solar power problems (Mitchell M Withers (mwithers))
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 4 Jan 2015 14:07:45 +0000
> From: "Mitchell M Withers (mwithers)" <mwithers at memphis.edu>
> To: "anss-netops at geohazards.usgs.gov"
> 	<anss-netops at geohazards.usgs.gov>
> Subject: [ANSS-netops] solar power problems
> Message-ID: <1420380464747.41875 at memphis.edu>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
>
> Many of our stations run on battery and solar and that normally works well.  We have a routine battery replacement cycle to make sure they don't get old.  Theoretically, we should be able to run with zero solar for about 25 days.  But this has been an unusually dreary winter in the southeast and we haven't had much sun for the past two months or more.  I'm wondering what others do in areas with limited sunlight to power stations that don't have AC available?
>
> Mitch
>
> Center for Earthquake Research and Information (CERI)
> University of Memphis                Ph: 901-678-4940
> Memphis, TN 38152                   Fax: 901-678-4734
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Subject: Digest Footer
>
> _______________________________________________
> ANSS-netops mailing list
> ANSS-netops at geohazards.usgs.gov
> https://geohazards.usgs.gov/mailman/listinfo/anss-netops
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> End of ANSS-netops Digest, Vol 59, Issue 1
> ******************************************
>