From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Transmission lines in
Lund
,
Sweden
BC Hydro
transmission towers and lines in
Coquitlam, British Columbia
.
Power lines near
Helsinki
,
Finland
Transmission line in
Taiwan
Electric power transmission
is the transmitting of
electricity
to places where it will be used. Specifically, it is the bulk transfer of electrical power from the
power plant
to
substations
near populated areas.
Electric power distribution
is the delivery from the substation to the consumers. Due to the large amount of power and long distances,
transmission
normally takes place at
high voltage
(110 kV or above).
Electricity is usually transmitted over long distance through overhead power transmission lines.
Underground
power transmission is used only in
densely populated
areas (such as large cities) because of the high cost of installation and maintenance and because the power losses increase dramatically compared with overhead transmission unless
superconductors
and
cryogenic
technology are used.
A power transmission system is often referred to as a "
grid
"; however, for reasons of economy, the network is rarely a true grid.
Redundant
paths and lines are provided so that power can be routed from any power plant to any load center, through a variety of routes, based on the economics of the transmission path and the cost of power.
- Grigsby, L. L., et al.
The Electric Power Engineering Handbook
. USA: CRC Press. (2001).
ISBN
0-8493-8578-4
- Westinghouse Electric Corporation, "
Electric power transmission patents; Tesla polyphase system
". (Transmission of power; polyphase system; Tesla patents)