11:00 - this is why people prefer RUclips to polished TV. We see the human side, you acknowledge that we all have bad days and that’s so much more relatable than a perfectly honed performance. Hope next week is a better week.
I’m studying for a masters in electrical and electronic engineering aswell as eventually a level 3 installations. I could help electricians in several ways in years to come if I’m successful.
Drilling and tapping sheet metal is OK for thicker sheet but consider looking at "Nut-Serts" or "Riv-Nuts" as an alternate. They will provide sufficient thread to bite and secure. Remember, a bolt/screw should have 2.5 threads at least fully engaded into the opposite thread.
@@petermichaelgreen Yes, that is correct for M5, M6's are more common. The point is a little missed though, drilling and tapping sheet-metal is not best way to secure hardware.
The problem I'm finding with working on the UK's electricity networks is a serious shortage of men and a lack of new people coming into the industry. We seem to be playing catch up just keep what we have going, especially when we get storm damage and are out all night getting damaged parts of the network energized again. This then has a knock on effect when it comes to planned outages. Great video bud, thanks.
Think the biggest problem is apprenticeships for that kind of work. I left school at 18 to learn IT stupidly. Now I am too old for an apprenticeship. And currently working as a butcher wishing I went down the sparky route
@@shaunburns3332 You're never too old to retrade but the problem is maintaining a level of income you are used too. 16-18k a year trainee wage just isn't enough for most. A good way to get a foot in the door on the powerlines is a HGV license and digger ticket.
I'm retired now, but worked for leckie board for many years, last few as a fault technician attending LV faults. Lots of substation work, cahnging blown fuses etc. With regard to the phase sync to the generator, when on a training course for connecting 250 and 500 kva trailer mounted generators to a sub station, the instructor told us to watch the ring of LEDs on the generator as they would turn one way then the other, and when in sync the circuit breaker woul close and connect up. One of the lads was watching it very closely, and uttered the words "it's read to close", when the generator and trailer jumed a foot in the air! It turned out the instructor had caught his foot in the sync lead, which was supposed to be connected to the red phase, and carelesly reconnected it to the blue, so it ws out of phase!
Cool episode. I thing the general plan is to replace peaker plants with big fat cabinets full of Lithium batteries that top off from the grid at quiet times, and then dump pack as demand goes up. Physically bigger, but less mechanical maintenance needed. There's going to be one big wheel left in a hundred years clocking the grid.
Octopus are kind of already doing this if you think about it… except remotely and having the batteries for free! They use their customers houses as a battery farm essentially
There was a test battery unit constructed in Australia made out of partly broken kia battery packs, with huge capacity It's on fire right now of course, been on fire for a few weeks, they didn't build the bund walls high enough to fill them with water and cover the packs in case of emergency
At current prices, a lithium battery that can provide 1 megawatt for 1 hour costs the same as a 1 megawatt generator and enough fuel to run it 24/7 for a year. And unlike the generator, that lithium battery has no be recharged at some point.
😂 Cory: " invite your nan along" 65 year old non-electrician woman watching here, looks forward to the mechanical bit too just because ...well it's all so interesting and I never had the opportunity to do anything like it😂 V20 engine, sounds quite large to me 🤪 What a great coup this job is Cory, makes for good content too until the ridiculous problems with faulty parts. Sods law it happens late at night when it's impossible to get replacements at least I presume it is...or maybe there is somewhere that is available to help on time critical jobs? Great fun, see you next time, just call me Granny 😅😂👍👏
got it easy with these auto synchroscopes , used to love doing them manually when i was on ships, even got a home brew one made out of incandescent lamps for pairing up small gensets// give it a go some time .. good content.. much more interesting than a board change or a car charger 🤣
I remember commissioning a new water turbine inside a large dam which ran a generator to feed into the grid. It shuddered to a halt and when it was stripped down the culprit was found to be a large eel wrapped around the impeller.
Being able to solve unexpected problems independently in real-time is a highly desired skill in any industry. For some reason it's hard to teach and learn; some people just have it in them and others don't.
Tip for commissioning, if possible back feed up to the generator with the wires disconnected at the generator, will prove all the wiring is phased out correctly.
The memories it bring back of walking with Dad around HV up to 132KV substations as kid with open and live switch gear. He was brought up in the era when some houses still had DC feed pre-standardisation. I thought nothing of doubling up a socket live at home, with my Dads insulated rubber gloves, 4 sizes too big and not tripping the house.
Top stuff lad 👍 I fully hate auxiliary cables on primary terminations. At least they have a separate bolt. Seen 6mm control stuff on massive 16mm krimps on the same bolt as the twin 185mm 😂😂
There are a couple of these sites in North London. They don't connect to our network but they are next to our sites. Cory you need to visit a national grid site one day. 400kV focuses the mind abit!
I have the same enthusiasm loved working on industrial electrical factory plants even working through the night to get the work done, always like working with engineers who had more knowledge about equipment than me, 77 years young and still addicted to buying tools 😂, love watching your videos.
Great video Cory. I have sold gas engines & CHP solutions in the UK for the past 13 years (nat. Gas bio gas and Hydrogen fuelled). I was also the accountant manager for the CHPs that are installed at the UK&I Center Parc sites. Happy to answer any questions on CHPs if you need any help. PS I now work for a Wind Turbine OEM for projects in the UK&I
I have some degree of familiarity with railway electrics so I believe I _should_ feel comfortable around 25KV OHL or 50KA DCCR...But seeing Cory working on that 2KA equipment still sent a few chills down my spine even though he'd shown _and told_ us the NG end was locked-off! 😀 Thankfully, the only thing I actually work on is my own consumer LV stuff. Probably just as well, all things considered! 🙃
This is interesting for me. One of my clients makes turbochargers for heavy industry - shipping, construction and power industry, including backup generators etc. Interesting to see behind the scenes from a different POV. Thanks!
I loved this video. It is exactly what I do, industrial but in network distribution that I never had the chance to touch (and prefer to leave to the more competent than me for a long margin). Regarding the sheet metal work, what you've done works but normally I use some threaded nut rivets. Although 2mm thick sheet threads is enough for catching a screw I'm always afraid that by any external conditions or brute force of the next one to touch that will rip them from the sheet. But hey it works and it is enough.
From another industry that has flashes and bangs I found long sleeve flash resistant shirts ( Cromwell ) a comfort I also found Nomex jeans. I know of someone who caught an electrical switchboard flash, He was badly burned and took surgery for a year or so to be able to work properly again.
14:00 Rivnuts are usually really good for getting threads into sheet metal 🙂 I picked up a Rivnut starter kit type thing from eBay for about 40 quid, and it just sits in the van until needed, and when it's needed it saves a lot of messing about. Give us all a van tour sometime 🙂🙂
3:30 I once had a chance to visit a 22kV substation during construction. The switches were at ground level (with these nice enclosures, and a panel on it, all made for human interaction), and the massive cables were fed through the basement. Visiting the basement with these cables, and the cable boots exposed, some lying on the ground to be installed, down there it looked like NO HUMAN SHOULD BE HERE, it was quite a bit frightening for me - even I *knew* 100% the cables were not live. Also I once visited an exhibition in a museum on 90 years of Hamburg subway, and they had recreated a bit of subway track at the entrance, and to get into the exhibition you had to get over this recreated bit of track (really!), which including a third rail. It all looked very very real (they even had a tunnel enclosure and dim lighting!), every fiber in me seemed to scream: "Don't go there!!!".
There are tapping drill sets you can buy for just immediately ripping a threaded screw hole into sheet metal btw without the need for pilot holes. I've seen a lot of machinists use them. They're basically just normal drill bits with a tap set half way through them.
Have you tried Threadforming screws? If you drill a 4.2mm the pan head screw will make its own thread when driven in, also when you take it out the hole is tapped. Use these all the time! They are also known as TapTite screws or TapFix.
Cory, what you really need is some good spiral pointed (!) taps. Those are superb for throughholes like the ones you are threading here and you can just pop them in the drill and ram it through the hole with a lot less risk of breakage.
Electronic sync of the alternators, I have a 1920s book of dynamo and alternator engineering where they describe syncing using light bulbs connected between the two lines, when the bulbs go dark the two alternators are in sync and the linesman can throw the switch. I used to build alternator sets,started as a hobby when I was about 14 and I got the previously mentioned book, biggest I ever did was 150 KVA and the worst belt was from a 45 KVA 3 phase machine when I was setting up the AVR board and somehow I managed to touch the output of two phases with the side of my left hand, no burns but a dreadful buzzing feeling in the hand which lasted the rest of the day.
Facinating... Subbed and liked I have worked with ENW a few times through a company I worked for.... I designed a circuit that could remotely control a panel about a mile away. It involved a LORA Transceiver and controlled a G50 unit... It had to have an RF connection (866MHz) because the control room was outside the perimeter of the complex and there was a car park in the way....the alternative would be to dig up the car park and lay cables.... Hope it's still working.....
I really liked this video. Makes a change seeing electrical work different to the ordinary. Was a pleasure to see what Jamie gets up to outside of the electricians podcast.
@ 22:40 - Synchronous condensors! These little bad bois are fun! They never stop shpinning. There are three on our grid here in SA - two in op and one being built - each are 180 tonnes. They move reasonably quickly.
great video however the G99 doesn’t do the synchronising, the comap controller takes care of that, the g99 will trip the gen breaker if it falls out of parameters i.e loss of mains sensing to protect the gen from clashing with a potential out of sync mains supply when it comes back on
More of this please, its my bread and butter and im sad enough to enjoy watching it out of work. It's Solar maintenance season now, if you want to see the sorry state some of the Solar farms are built like drop me a message.
I suspect it is far to technical to explain to a politician, that if you have a grid straining under the load, then want everyone to have electric vehicles, and transfer heating and cooking loads from gas to electricity, that there might just be a bit of a problem.
I mean, it’s kind of the electricity companies responsibility most of the time to fix this as if you notify them about an electric vehicle charger they have to do work to ensure the grid will support it and if it requires rewiring a street because the cable is not sufficient they will have to do that. They have been known to replace certain substations at maximum capacity when someone submits the notification for electric vehicle charging.
@@UKsystems That's a pretty naïve statement. You have a situation where people are being pressured to move from gas and oil central heating to electricity, and at the same time a nation converting from fuel to electric vehicles (say about 20 million chargers, thus the grid will need to cope with a massive increase, and ability to create electricity will also expand massively. Politicians are waving a magic wand for this to be created but the cost is going to double the cost of electricity.
@@Mark-jp9dz You need to realise that when these gas stations are introduced they are temporary measure as they are working on high voltage transmission lines to be installed all their working and paying the voltage of certain transmission lines to cope with the extra demand. The issue is these things require a lot of planning and control so it may be a few years before these projects come online but they are definitely working on them. This is a measure to meet the demand immediately immediately.
Never worked on HV, but I still remember the classes from 50yrs ago. Specifically the acronym SIDE. Switch off - Isolate - Dump - Earth. It was drummed into us that the busbars should be earthed as an added precaution. Does that not still apply?
The think I like about you Cory, compared to the Artisan manager, you point things out regarding other electricians shabby work and then show the right way, but you don’t elaborate and go on about it, this is why I prefer your style of methods, your more down to earth, you can correct me if I’m wrong.
Here in the states we use dynamic rotary UPS's at some of the data centers, where there is a large mass flywheel connected to generator and motor. This has displaced battery storage during power outages in that when the power will fail the flywheel will keep the power going and also is used to start the engine that will then continue to run the flywheel generator. This completely eliminates the need for large battery banks at data centers, that are needed until the generators start up. 😁👍 Now we are also seeing the large battery farms for power providers (DNO) to get through those spikes in demand that are needed without having to resort to additional natural gas power stations having to be built.
About 35 years ago I heard about a data center with a large-mass flywheel setup. Somehow the flywheel shaft broke and the flywheel took off right through a concrete block wall!!! Ho, boy! I bet a LOT of people had to change their underwear!!!
@@markpeterson5479 wow. Yeah Cisco is using them in their new build data centers to help obtain the LEED certification by not using flooded lead acid batteries for backup power.
Not sure the UK grid is particularly struggling, they used to have a load of open cycle Olympus (aka Concorde) engines that would do the same job, provide a quick source of pick-up if needed.
G99 is loss of mains protection, if the machine becomes islanded either at 11kV ( or higher) or at LV the g99 detects this condition by supervision of voltage, frequency and rate of change of frequency. G99 is blocked till the CB is closed plus a 1s. Sync check and energisation check is an interlocking function m G99 is a grid compliance protection tripping function
If you need torque wrenches and screwdrivers, I've been happy with my Norbar wrenches that I got for DIY spannering as they were the cheapest ones with certification. If you're tapping thin (
It's interesting seeing the system from the other end. Might share with my colleagues as we fuss about issuing instructions to DNOs to curtail generation because of boundary constraints.
Really enjoyable video Cory, thank you. To be able to see what happens at the other end when we turn the kettle on is quite a rarity. Definitely more please.
Speaking of heat recovery, I am a propane delivery driver, and I met this fella who owns tomato greenhouses. next door to him he has a diesel motor powered sawmill. so he made a deal with them to put a heat exchanger before their radiator to steal that heat and pump it to his greenhouse. so that way he saves some money on propane to keep his greenhouse warm.
Great content Cory , interesting to learn more, engineering Electrics stuff. like the van set up with the Milwaukee Pack out boxes & Sliding Draw , Great Tip ⚡️👊
Cory - you know you can buy a VDE socket set to make you feel a bit better? Torque bars are not expensive either, and dead handy for working on your car too! You might also want to buy a deburring tool for the metalwork. Nobody ever thinks of a sparky being a fabricator, but how often do we find ourselves having to engineer a solution to a problem that is unique?
Ah, one of 'these' jobs where it seems to be going OK, even though the pressure's on and it's getting late and you're just about done then .... problems! Anyway, just wanted to mention a couple of things regarding the 'G99 relay' Looks like it's an integrated device (lots of eggs in one basket 😟) so it may well do the sync check between the grid and the machine but that in itself isn't the G99 bit. For non-UK viewers (and those in the UK that are wondering what it is), Engineering Recommendation G99 is the technical standard in the UK for interconnection of sources of electrical energy with the distribution or transmission networks - the 'grid' - published by the Energy Networks Association. The G99 protection functions in the relay are monitoring the voltage waveforms to ensure voltage magnitude and frequency stay within prescribed limits and that interconnection with the grid hasn't been lost. The relay possibly does other things besides the core G99 functions too. The reference by the AP, Jamie, about alternators that are interconnected to the grid with no prime mover in order to provide 'oomph' is describing the increasing need to provide or replace system inertia that allows the networks to remain stable during events like faults. The alternators can also be used to control the flow of reactive power, which is important is controlling network voltage.
Looks like a ComAp MainsPro relay to me which is just the G99 protection functions. The synchroniser and generator protection are in the panel opposite, which I think was some form of Deep Sea engine / generator controller which will have the synchroniser, AVR and some basic protection built into it.
@@three-phase562 I have to confess, as a retired DNO protection and control engineer, to always feeling a bit on-edge watching the wiring for the reference voltages being altered. Was always a bugbear of mine when witness testing G59/G99 sites. On our networks, having this amount of interference in the wiring would require complete recommissioning of that part of the protection, which is why DNOs and TSOs use test blocks as an integral part of the design. It is VERY easy to literally get your wires crossed and the outcomes are not always quite as tame as the AP in the video alludes to! Out-of-sync closing of the generator CB is never pretty, as I’m sure you’re only too well aware.
@@protectiongeek I agree, I was taught to re-commission a protection system if any of the voltage, current or trip signals were ever disconnected. The larger 10MW reciprocating gas engines I have seen, do have test blocks within the panels. I think it is some of these smaller sites that are being installed by capital investment companies where the more finer details of these installations go awry. A lot of the synchronisers I worked on only utilised the one phase, so there could be severe problems if connections weren't correct, although we did have independently wired check sync systems for backup. I know the Deep Sea units take in all three phases, but I am not sure if it utilises all three for synchronisation or if it just uses the signal from one.
Great content Cory, I really enjoyed it, thanks for taking the time to explain what you were doing in what must have been far from ideal circumstances. More big electrically challenging stuff, please. Keep safe though, I wouldn't want you to turn into a red mist. Any chance of a post-job update, I assume things got sorted?
Its not that solar doesnt have the power behind it, its that grid tie inverters, in the UK, are set to operate at a power factor very to or at 1. There is no source of reactive power from a grid tie inverter. Spinning flywheels, or more commonly known as spinning reserve, is able to provide reactive power as they re purpose exisiting plant as the their generator sets are able to provide reactive power, from a cost point of view, the connection is agreed and understood so much cheaper to get operating.
When tapping thin steel like this, simple put the tap in your battery drill and use a low tourqe setting Go slow You will usually get it straighter than with the proper tap holder, especially with the awkward angle that you have
Thats what I always said a stable grid need the oomph of the rotating mass of the huge power plants turbines / gensets. Solar and wind got no oomph. Nice engine!
Glove on a chickens lip as we would say . Bit surprised that the original installation was so easily compromised , not good considering the potential for fire or worse . But hay I’m only a retired electrical contractor who would regularly work in live enclosures with 3 phase supplies probably only topping out 400 amps per phase . Definitely in your case live cables can indeed jump , with rather interesting results . But as we always used to say , single phase you usually get up and live to fight another day . 3 phase it’s what type of flowers would the departed have preferred . 😂
From what I can find, the "click it back" thing is all over the web, and nowhere in anyone's manual. It's definitely not a universal thing, and you'd think if it was an amazing patented feature whoever had it would be shouting about it in all their advertising. Pro tip: if you have to learn about a bankable feature via word of mouth, it's an urban legend.
Hi Cory, in the past I have designed plenty of panels built them and wired them, Mostly for refrigeration systems ( mcs's, contactors, stats, timers, din rail ETC) single & 3 phase 440V and mostly locked enclosures ho and swa up to 16mm and pyro all different sizes & cores and not forgetting singles. But I would have loved to work on bigger projects, heavier cables and higher voltages etc! Also subscribed 😁
The palms of those mains cable lugs are barely on the bus. It looks like the bars were not designed for so many cables per phase of that size. I'd like to see thermographics under full load.
Looking forward to seeing more of the bigger stuff. You can get only so much content from domestic house wiring before it becomes repetitive and boring.
Did not think you'd use those fuse carriers, I have the very same ones that are 600 amp per phase. I feel a little bit of pride that I have gear that's the same as grid backup generators
11:00 - this is why people prefer RUclips to polished TV. We see the human side, you acknowledge that we all have bad days and that’s so much more relatable than a perfectly honed performance.
Hope next week is a better week.
The problem isn’t working the long unknown hours, the problem is finding a partner that shares one’s passion for working them.
True true!
On electricians wages? Even their assistants wage? I'd come and tuck you into bed at night and be round first thing in the morning to wake you too! 😆🤣
I can't get anyone regardless.
I’m studying for a masters in electrical and electronic engineering aswell as eventually a level 3 installations. I could help electricians in several ways in years to come if I’m successful.
Your exactly right
Great work Cory! I found industrial electrical systems to be very diversified. Yes, please do film your work on other industrial plants.👍
Drilling and tapping sheet metal is OK for thicker sheet but consider looking at "Nut-Serts" or "Riv-Nuts" as an alternate. They will provide sufficient thread to bite and secure. Remember, a bolt/screw should have 2.5 threads at least fully engaded into the opposite thread.
mmm, I looked up m5 and it has a thread pitch of 0.8, so 2.5 threads is spot on 2mm.
@@petermichaelgreen Yes, that is correct for M5, M6's are more common. The point is a little missed though, drilling and tapping sheet-metal is not best way to secure hardware.
More of this sort of stuff please Cory; this is so cool!
One of my favourite videos so far, good to see Jamie in his element as well 👏🏼
And he isn’t complaining all the time 😂
I would hardly call this my element , I had my Clothing on for a start
Cory - use nut rivets and it'll secure it better. I use loads on HV panels
Or Taptites would work
The problem I'm finding with working on the UK's electricity networks is a serious shortage of men and a lack of new people coming into the industry. We seem to be playing catch up just keep what we have going, especially when we get storm damage and are out all night getting damaged parts of the network energized again. This then has a knock on effect when it comes to planned outages. Great video bud, thanks.
Think the biggest problem is apprenticeships for that kind of work. I left school at 18 to learn IT stupidly. Now I am too old for an apprenticeship. And currently working as a butcher wishing I went down the sparky route
@@shaunburns3332 You're never too old to retrade but the problem is maintaining a level of income you are used too. 16-18k a year trainee wage just isn't enough for most. A good way to get a foot in the door on the powerlines is a HGV license and digger ticket.
Welcome to conservative government.
Even with the shortage, I’m questioning wether the private NVQ/C&G are sufficient enough for employers, do you have any opinion on this?
@@chrisj1909 yes because they care more about experience and skill than a bit of paper
I'm retired now, but worked for leckie board for many years, last few as a fault technician attending LV faults. Lots of substation work, cahnging blown fuses etc. With regard to the phase sync to the generator, when on a training course for connecting 250 and 500 kva trailer mounted generators to a sub station, the instructor told us to watch the ring of LEDs on the generator as they would turn one way then the other, and when in sync the circuit breaker woul close and connect up. One of the lads was watching it very closely, and uttered the words "it's read to close", when the generator and trailer jumed a foot in the air! It turned out the instructor had caught his foot in the sync lead, which was supposed to be connected to the red phase, and carelesly reconnected it to the blue, so it ws out of phase!
Nick Bundy would love that draw setup👍🏽 Awesome job as always. 👌🏽
NB said he copied it from OY
Cool episode. I thing the general plan is to replace peaker plants with big fat cabinets full of Lithium batteries that top off from the grid at quiet times, and then dump pack as demand goes up. Physically bigger, but less mechanical maintenance needed. There's going to be one big wheel left in a hundred years clocking the grid.
Octopus are kind of already doing this if you think about it… except remotely and having the batteries for free! They use their customers houses as a battery farm essentially
There was a test battery unit constructed in Australia made out of partly broken kia battery packs, with huge capacity
It's on fire right now of course, been on fire for a few weeks, they didn't build the bund walls high enough to fill them with water and cover the packs in case of emergency
At current prices, a lithium battery that can provide 1 megawatt for 1 hour costs the same as a 1 megawatt generator and enough fuel to run it 24/7 for a year.
And unlike the generator, that lithium battery has no be recharged at some point.
Absolutely loved this one with Jamie, the dream team pairing!!!!
Oh really
😂 Cory: " invite your nan along" 65 year old non-electrician woman watching here, looks forward to the mechanical bit too just because ...well it's all so interesting and I never had the opportunity to do anything like it😂
V20 engine, sounds quite large to me 🤪
What a great coup this job is Cory, makes for good content too until the ridiculous problems with faulty parts. Sods law it happens late at night when it's impossible to get replacements at least I presume it is...or maybe there is somewhere that is available to help on time critical jobs?
Great fun, see you next time, just call me Granny 😅😂👍👏
got it easy with these auto synchroscopes , used to love doing them manually when i was on ships, even got a home brew one made out of incandescent lamps for pairing up small gensets// give it a go some time .. good content.. much more interesting than a board change or a car charger 🤣
Very cool
yeah, the old manual glowlight synchronising and a hand crank switch. Every newbee blow the mains or generator fuses.
☺
I think our meeting with 400A busbar in ØY25 was more scary then this +2000A intake . 😅 God jobb Cory 👍
Best you tube sparking video I’ve seen in ages & you managed to keep Jamie from swearing. More like this please.
Less swaring I think not
I remember commissioning a new water turbine inside a large dam which ran a generator to feed into the grid. It shuddered to a halt and when it was stripped down the culprit was found to be a large eel wrapped around the impeller.
Being able to solve unexpected problems independently in real-time is a highly desired skill in any industry. For some reason it's hard to teach and learn; some people just have it in them and others don't.
It can be taught, but most people teaching it are not the best at teaching it
Tip for commissioning, if possible back feed up to the generator with the wires disconnected at the generator, will prove all the wiring is phased out correctly.
AVE has already covered the one click back myth with the drill, since watching his videos my drill bits have stopped falling out 😂
Great video and yes more please! One tip, when tapping, turn the tap backward a quarter turn for every turn, helps break off the swarf ;)
And treat yourself to an Adjustable Ratchet Tap Wrench T-Handle. Have both short and long handle versions and wouldn't be without them.
The memories it bring back of walking with Dad around HV up to 132KV substations as kid with open and live switch gear. He was brought up in the era when some houses still had DC feed pre-standardisation. I thought nothing of doubling up a socket live at home, with my Dads insulated rubber gloves, 4 sizes too big and not tripping the house.
Top stuff lad 👍
I fully hate auxiliary cables on primary terminations. At least they have a separate bolt. Seen 6mm control stuff on massive 16mm krimps on the same bolt as the twin 185mm 😂😂
Love the video content. Done 45 years as an electrician could not do house busting. Go for industrial. Thanks for sharing
There are a couple of these sites in North London. They don't connect to our network but they are next to our sites. Cory you need to visit a national grid site one day. 400kV focuses the mind abit!
Great Vid as always. A little tip to try in the future, place the tap in the drill and power tap the hole.
as long as you use a bit o tapping fat.
I have the same enthusiasm loved working on industrial electrical factory plants even working through the night to get the work done, always like working with engineers who had more knowledge about equipment than me, 77 years young and still addicted to buying tools 😂, love watching your videos.
Great video Cory. I have sold gas engines & CHP solutions in the UK for the past 13 years (nat. Gas bio gas and Hydrogen fuelled). I was also the accountant manager for the CHPs that are installed at the UK&I Center Parc sites. Happy to answer any questions on CHPs if you need any help. PS I now work for a Wind Turbine OEM for projects in the UK&I
I have some degree of familiarity with railway electrics so I believe I _should_ feel comfortable around 25KV OHL or 50KA DCCR...But seeing Cory working on that 2KA equipment still sent a few chills down my spine even though he'd shown _and told_ us the NG end was locked-off! 😀
Thankfully, the only thing I actually work on is my own consumer LV stuff. Probably just as well, all things considered! 🙃
This is interesting for me. One of my clients makes turbochargers for heavy industry - shipping, construction and power industry, including backup generators etc. Interesting to see behind the scenes from a different POV. Thanks!
I loved this video. It is exactly what I do, industrial but in network distribution that I never had the chance to touch (and prefer to leave to the more competent than me for a long margin).
Regarding the sheet metal work, what you've done works but normally I use some threaded nut rivets.
Although 2mm thick sheet threads is enough for catching a screw I'm always afraid that by any external conditions or brute force of the next one to touch that will rip them from the sheet.
But hey it works and it is enough.
Lovely job and great to see Jamie.
From another industry that has flashes and bangs I found long sleeve flash resistant shirts ( Cromwell ) a comfort I also found Nomex jeans. I know of someone who caught an electrical switchboard flash, He was badly burned and took surgery for a year or so to be able to work properly again.
14:00 Rivnuts are usually really good for getting threads into sheet metal 🙂
I picked up a Rivnut starter kit type thing from eBay for about 40 quid, and it just sits in the van until needed, and when it's needed it saves a lot of messing about.
Give us all a van tour sometime 🙂🙂
This took me back to the late 1980s. Used to service the power-factor correction and oil filled 11kv breakers in various substations.
3:30 I once had a chance to visit a 22kV substation during construction. The switches were at ground level (with these nice enclosures, and a panel on it, all made for human interaction), and the massive cables were fed through the basement. Visiting the basement with these cables, and the cable boots exposed, some lying on the ground to be installed, down there it looked like NO HUMAN SHOULD BE HERE, it was quite a bit frightening for me - even I *knew* 100% the cables were not live.
Also I once visited an exhibition in a museum on 90 years of Hamburg subway, and they had recreated a bit of subway track at the entrance, and to get into the exhibition you had to get over this recreated bit of track (really!), which including a third rail. It all looked very very real (they even had a tunnel enclosure and dim lighting!), every fiber in me seemed to scream: "Don't go there!!!".
Those high power tails should be bonded to earth when you are working on them.
There are tapping drill sets you can buy for just immediately ripping a threaded screw hole into sheet metal btw without the need for pilot holes. I've seen a lot of machinists use them. They're basically just normal drill bits with a tap set half way through them.
I’ve got a set but with most of my key sizes missing 🤣👍🏼
Have you tried Threadforming screws? If you drill a 4.2mm the pan head screw will make its own thread when driven in, also when you take it out the hole is tapped. Use these all the time! They are also known as TapTite screws or TapFix.
I used to put the tap in the drill. Best to wear safety specs when drilling metal too.
Great video, shows we don’t all work 8-5. Love it when you get to test yourself
Cory, what you really need is some good spiral pointed (!) taps. Those are superb for throughholes like the ones you are threading here and you can just pop them in the drill and ram it through the hole with a lot less risk of breakage.
Electronic sync of the alternators, I have a 1920s book of dynamo and alternator engineering where they describe syncing using light bulbs connected between the two lines, when the bulbs go dark the two alternators are in sync and the linesman can throw the switch.
I used to build alternator sets,started as a hobby when I was about 14 and I got the previously mentioned book, biggest I ever did was 150 KVA and the worst belt was from a 45 KVA 3 phase machine when I was setting up the AVR board and somehow I managed to touch the output of two phases with the side of my left hand, no burns but a dreadful buzzing feeling in the hand which lasted the rest of the day.
Facinating... Subbed and liked
I have worked with ENW a few times through a company I worked for.... I designed a circuit that could remotely control a panel about a mile away.
It involved a LORA Transceiver and controlled a G50 unit...
It had to have an RF connection (866MHz) because the control room was outside the perimeter of the complex and there was a car park in the way....the alternative would be to dig up the car park and lay cables....
Hope it's still working.....
Awesome work man! 🙏🏼
I really liked this video. Makes a change seeing electrical work different to the ordinary. Was a pleasure to see what Jamie gets up to outside of the electricians podcast.
It’s part of my community service
@ 22:40 - Synchronous condensors! These little bad bois are fun! They never stop shpinning. There are three on our grid here in SA - two in op and one being built - each are 180 tonnes. They move reasonably quickly.
Awesome!!!!
The dream team we all need. Corie or Jamry? Would be a crime if more of this content isn't released. Excellent stuff guys thanks.
great video however the G99 doesn’t do the synchronising, the comap controller takes care of that, the g99 will trip the gen breaker if it falls out of parameters i.e loss of mains sensing to protect the gen from clashing with a potential out of sync mains supply when it comes back on
Better that fuse mounting plastic broke now rather than being just 'on the edge' and breaking later, when unattended , through vibration.
I'm on site today testing a new 11kV switchboard at a paper mill. On Wednesday I'm working on a 220-33kV transformer
Great video and I'd thought I'd never see the day, Jamie not swearing on video 😆😆😆
More of this please, its my bread and butter and im sad enough to enjoy watching it out of work.
It's Solar maintenance season now, if you want to see the sorry state some of the Solar farms are built like drop me a message.
Sounds cool! Ping me a DM
@@corymacused to work on solar farms they are in a poor state some of them. Used to work with PUSH energy in there clients sites
I suspect it is far to technical to explain to a politician, that if you have a grid straining under the load, then want everyone to have electric vehicles, and transfer heating and cooking loads from gas to electricity, that there might just be a bit of a problem.
I mean, it’s kind of the electricity companies responsibility most of the time to fix this as if you notify them about an electric vehicle charger they have to do work to ensure the grid will support it and if it requires rewiring a street because the cable is not sufficient they will have to do that. They have been known to replace certain substations at maximum capacity when someone submits the notification for electric vehicle charging.
@@UKsystems That's a pretty naïve statement. You have a situation where people are being pressured to move from gas and oil central heating to electricity, and at the same time a nation converting from fuel to electric vehicles (say about 20 million chargers, thus the grid will need to cope with a massive increase, and ability to create electricity will also expand massively. Politicians are waving a magic wand for this to be created but the cost is going to double the cost of electricity.
@@Mark-jp9dz You need to realise that when these gas stations are introduced they are temporary measure as they are working on high voltage transmission lines to be installed all their working and paying the voltage of certain transmission lines to cope with the extra demand. The issue is these things require a lot of planning and control so it may be a few years before these projects come online but they are definitely working on them. This is a measure to meet the demand immediately immediately.
Never worked on HV, but I still remember the classes from 50yrs ago. Specifically the acronym SIDE. Switch off - Isolate - Dump - Earth.
It was drummed into us that the busbars should be earthed as an added precaution. Does that not still apply?
The think I like about you Cory, compared to the Artisan manager, you point things out regarding other electricians shabby work and then show the right way, but you don’t elaborate and go on about it, this is why I prefer your style of methods, your more down to earth, you can correct me if I’m wrong.
Here in the states we use dynamic rotary UPS's at some of the data centers, where there is a large mass flywheel connected to generator and motor. This has displaced battery storage during power outages in that when the power will fail the flywheel will keep the power going and also is used to start the engine that will then continue to run the flywheel generator. This completely eliminates the need for large battery banks at data centers, that are needed until the generators start up. 😁👍 Now we are also seeing the large battery farms for power providers (DNO) to get through those spikes in demand that are needed without having to resort to additional natural gas power stations having to be built.
About 35 years ago I heard about a data center with a large-mass flywheel setup. Somehow the flywheel shaft broke and the flywheel took off right through a concrete block wall!!! Ho, boy! I bet a LOT of people had to change their underwear!!!
@@markpeterson5479 wow. Yeah Cisco is using them in their new build data centers to help obtain the LEED certification by not using flooded lead acid batteries for backup power.
Not sure the UK grid is particularly struggling, they used to have a load of open cycle Olympus (aka Concorde) engines that would do the same job, provide a quick source of pick-up if needed.
G99 is loss of mains protection, if the machine becomes islanded either at 11kV ( or higher) or at LV the g99 detects this condition by supervision of voltage, frequency and rate of change of frequency. G99 is blocked till the CB is closed plus a 1s. Sync check and energisation check is an interlocking function m G99 is a grid compliance protection tripping function
This chap is one of the millions of unsung heroes that keep society from turning into a Mad Max scenario. Thank you young man
Love the variety in your content - it's fascinating for a non-electrician.
Thank you!
If you need torque wrenches and screwdrivers, I've been happy with my Norbar wrenches that I got for DIY spannering as they were the cheapest ones with certification.
If you're tapping thin (
It's interesting seeing the system from the other end. Might share with my colleagues as we fuss about issuing instructions to DNOs to curtail generation because of boundary constraints.
Really enjoyable video Cory, thank you. To be able to see what happens at the other end when we turn the kettle on is quite a rarity. Definitely more please.
You should use Rivnuts on thin steel far better solution and the tools and nuts are cheap and available in steel , alloy and stainless.
rotating inertia plants is what he was referring to. Essentially old turbines used as heavy flywheels to absorb instantaneous changes in load
Also known as synchronous condensers, I believe.
Speaking of heat recovery, I am a propane delivery driver, and I met this fella who owns tomato greenhouses. next door to him he has a diesel motor powered sawmill. so he made a deal with them to put a heat exchanger before their radiator to steal that heat and pump it to his greenhouse. so that way he saves some money on propane to keep his greenhouse warm.
Interesting stuff Cory.More please.
Great content Cory , interesting to learn more, engineering Electrics stuff. like the van set up with the Milwaukee Pack out boxes & Sliding Draw , Great Tip ⚡️👊
Great video 👍 i work on maintaining these generators all over the country. Good fun!
Cory, you need to get down to the motor spares shop, get yourself a decent torque wrench and other heavy duty tools 😁
Cory - you know you can buy a VDE socket set to make you feel a bit better? Torque bars are not expensive either, and dead handy for working on your car too!
You might also want to buy a deburring tool for the metalwork.
Nobody ever thinks of a sparky being a fabricator, but how often do we find ourselves having to engineer a solution to a problem that is unique?
I want a set! They’re insanely pricey 😳. Totally agree RE fabrication!
You need the 1/2" parkside ratchet with the extendable handle 😅
I've seen insulated electricians tools in Lidl too... but I'm guessing not rated for 11kV
Ah, one of 'these' jobs where it seems to be going OK, even though the pressure's on and it's getting late and you're just about done then .... problems!
Anyway, just wanted to mention a couple of things regarding the 'G99 relay' Looks like it's an integrated device (lots of eggs in one basket 😟) so it may well do the sync check between the grid and the machine but that in itself isn't the G99 bit. For non-UK viewers (and those in the UK that are wondering what it is), Engineering Recommendation G99 is the technical standard in the UK for interconnection of sources of electrical energy with the distribution or transmission networks - the 'grid' - published by the Energy Networks Association. The G99 protection functions in the relay are monitoring the voltage waveforms to ensure voltage magnitude and frequency stay within prescribed limits and that interconnection with the grid hasn't been lost. The relay possibly does other things besides the core G99 functions too.
The reference by the AP, Jamie, about alternators that are interconnected to the grid with no prime mover in order to provide 'oomph' is describing the increasing need to provide or replace system inertia that allows the networks to remain stable during events like faults. The alternators can also be used to control the flow of reactive power, which is important is controlling network voltage.
Looks like a ComAp MainsPro relay to me which is just the G99 protection functions. The synchroniser and generator protection are in the panel opposite, which I think was some form of Deep Sea engine / generator controller which will have the synchroniser, AVR and some basic protection built into it.
@@three-phase562 I have to confess, as a retired DNO protection and control engineer, to always feeling a bit on-edge watching the wiring for the reference voltages being altered. Was always a bugbear of mine when witness testing G59/G99 sites. On our networks, having this amount of interference in the wiring would require complete recommissioning of that part of the protection, which is why DNOs and TSOs use test blocks as an integral part of the design. It is VERY easy to literally get your wires crossed and the outcomes are not always quite as tame as the AP in the video alludes to! Out-of-sync closing of the generator CB is never pretty, as I’m sure you’re only too well aware.
@@protectiongeek I agree, I was taught to re-commission a protection system if any of the voltage, current or trip signals were ever disconnected. The larger 10MW reciprocating gas engines I have seen, do have test blocks within the panels. I think it is some of these smaller sites that are being installed by capital investment companies where the more finer details of these installations go awry.
A lot of the synchronisers I worked on only utilised the one phase, so there could be severe problems if connections weren't correct, although we did have independently wired check sync systems for backup. I know the Deep Sea units take in all three phases, but I am not sure if it utilises all three for synchronisation or if it just uses the signal from one.
Great content Cory, I really enjoyed it, thanks for taking the time to explain what you were doing in what must have been far from ideal circumstances. More big electrically challenging stuff, please. Keep safe though, I wouldn't want you to turn into a red mist. Any chance of a post-job update, I assume things got sorted?
Glad it was helpful!
Its not that solar doesnt have the power behind it, its that grid tie inverters, in the UK, are set to operate at a power factor very to or at 1. There is no source of reactive power from a grid tie inverter. Spinning flywheels, or more commonly known as spinning reserve, is able to provide reactive power as they re purpose exisiting plant as the their generator sets are able to provide reactive power, from a cost point of view, the connection is agreed and understood so much cheaper to get operating.
When tapping thin steel like this, simple put the tap in your battery drill and use a low tourqe setting
Go slow
You will usually get it straighter than with the proper tap holder, especially with the awkward angle that you have
Nice video, I think that Conrad are the only company who build and operate their own sites in the UK!
Good job Cory and good to see Jamie.
Really
Jamie who
I recently started a job building industrial control panels, and it's a weird feeling to see products on RUclips that you work with on a daily basis.
I like the oversized thermos flask as a replacement for gas boiler. To be able to store thermal mass will always be cheapest method in the long run
Great video Cory, looking forward to more of these
More to come!
Lovely stuff. Bit of bonus Jamie too.
👍🏻
Great content Cory. Defo would like to see more
Thanks!
I generally work with Axial Compressors and Turbines. That engine looks like a 12 Cylinder bank Receip. Good Video.
Good to see behind the scenes in UK for once 😅👍
Thats what I always said a stable grid need the oomph of the rotating mass of the huge power plants turbines / gensets.
Solar and wind got no oomph.
Nice engine!
I work on similar equipment with a company called sembcorp and also do their EICR’s around the country for all their sites
Love those Mersen fuse disconnectors, got the 2 pole version on my DIY Home battery.
Great video loved industrial work. For tapping the holes in the plate you can use a drill tap or put a clinch nut in. Keep up the good work
Glove on a chickens lip as we would say . Bit surprised that the original installation was so easily compromised , not good considering the potential for fire or worse . But hay I’m only a retired electrical contractor who would regularly work in live enclosures with 3 phase supplies probably only topping out 400 amps per phase . Definitely in your case live cables can indeed jump , with rather interesting results . But as we always used to say , single phase you usually get up and live to fight another day . 3 phase it’s what type of flowers would the departed have preferred . 😂
From what I can find, the "click it back" thing is all over the web, and nowhere in anyone's manual. It's definitely not a universal thing, and you'd think if it was an amazing patented feature whoever had it would be shouting about it in all their advertising.
Pro tip: if you have to learn about a bankable feature via word of mouth, it's an urban legend.
Hi Cory, in the past I have designed plenty of panels built them and wired them, Mostly for refrigeration systems ( mcs's, contactors, stats, timers, din rail ETC) single & 3 phase 440V and mostly locked enclosures ho and swa up to 16mm and pyro all different sizes & cores and not forgetting singles. But I would have loved to work on bigger projects, heavier cables and higher voltages etc! Also subscribed 😁
The palms of those mains cable lugs are barely on the bus. It looks like the bars were not designed for so many cables per phase of that size.
I'd like to see thermographics under full load.
I’ve got one and I can assure you the copper meets the requirements and it’s all fine
Hi
If you feel uncomfortable with those large cables why don't you use a shorting link to put accros them and ground
Is this why my power kept going off (near Bournemouth) the other week 😂 Corey messing around
Good video.
Question...what are the first set of cables that feed the fuse carriers protected with?
Looking forward to seeing more of the bigger stuff. You can get only so much content from domestic house wiring before it becomes repetitive and boring.
Did not think you'd use those fuse carriers, I have the very same ones that are 600 amp per phase. I feel a little bit of pride that I have gear that's the same as grid backup generators
Do you have anything earthed strapped in the uk when working, to make sure it stays dead?
Great Video really enjoyed this one thanks Cory and nice seeing Jamie
Glad you enjoyed it!