Did ‘induced atmospheric vibration’ cause blackouts in Europe? An electrical engineer explains the phenomenon

[Michie]

The lights are mostly back on in Spain, Portugal and southern France after a widespread blackout on Monday.

The blackout caused chaos for tens of millions of people. It shut down traffic lights and ATMs, halted public transport, cut phone service and forced people to eat dinner huddled around candles as night fell. Many people found themselves trapped in trainsand elevators.

Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has said the exact cause of the blackout is yet to be determined. In early reporting, Portugal’s grid operator REN was quoted as blaming the event on a rare phenomenon known as “induced atmospheric vibration”. REN has since reportedly refuted this.

But what is this vibration? And how can energy systems be improved to mitigate the risk of widespread blackouts?

Continued below.

Did ‘induced atmospheric vibration’ cause blackouts in Europe? An electrical engineer explains the phenomenon

Whatever caused the blackout in Spain and Portugal, it highlights the vulnerabilities in some electricity grids.

theconversation.com

 

[Bob Crowley]

It can be surpising how things can interact with electrical and electronic systems.

On a much smaller scale, years ago I was getting this regular and persistent "beep" in my hearing aid. I've been wearing them since I was six years old, being hard of hearing. I'm a bit resistant to some of their marketing claims as one result. Like Saint Thomas when they tell me that their hearing aids work well in noisy situations, I'll believe it when I see it (or hear it).

Anyway at the time I was close to Brisbane Airport. I was able to see the airport radar dish as it rotated around.

But I noticed every time it pointed right in my direction the "beep" occurred, precisely at that time, every time. I can't think of any other reason but the radar as it was too precise and too regular. Somehow the radar waves were interfering with the electronics in my aid.

Years ago I was talking to a chap who'd been in the Royal Australian Air Force. He was based at Amberley outside Ipwich for a while.

The local cops had set up a traffic radar nearby and they picked up a "car" travelling at about 800kmp. They figured it was probably an an F111 coming into land.

Tongue in cheek they wrote to the Air Force reminding them of speed limits on local roads. The RAAF wrote back saying that they had "illuminated" the radar, it had a margin of error which needed to be corrected, and that the senior sargent in charge needed to get his dental filling looked at as it was decaying.

As it turned out the Senior Sargent did have a decayed filling. It makes you wonder just what they have in some of these military machines.