Can someone please explain how rolling blackouts work?
In: Engineering
In a power grid the amount of electricity produced needs to match the amount of electricity consumed exactly. If not then catastrophic things will happen. If there is a local imbalance then the transfer lines to neighboring areas will fail, either the fuses trip or the lines literally melt. If there is an imbalance in the entire grid, or if the grid is split due to failed lines, then the frequency will not be correct and various appliances in peoples homes will start failing.
It is therefore better to have the power fail completely rather then be imbalanced. As an emergency effort to reduce electricity demand the grid operators can literally disconnect parts of the consumers. Usually a neighborhood at a time. In order to make it a bit fair and to make sure everyone at least get some electricity if it is critical they will alter which neighborhood gets disconnected. So the blackout will literally “roll” through the city from neighborhood to neighborhood.
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