CES 2018 Plunged Into Pre-Industrial Darkness

[Guest]

During CES 2018, the Central Hall and South Hall bridge meeting rooms at the Las Vegas Convention Center lost power.

CES 2018 Plunged Into Pre-Industrial Darkness : Read more

 

[vern72]

Well, I'm not gonna buy any UPSes from the companies that were there!

 

[InvalidError]

Condensation in a power room? Either they need to weather-proof their equipment, do something about recycling the equipment's waste heat to get rid of excess moisture or deploy dehumidifiers. Power rooms usually have far more than enough waste heat to keep themselves well above dew point and not have condensation in the first place.

 

[KD_Gaming]

@invaliderror, it was most likely a transformer on the pole outside.

 

[bit_user]

@invaliderror, it was most likely a transformer on the pole outside.

Pretty sure you don't put transformers needed to power those convention halls on poles (or indoors). It was probably on a concrete pad, where the waste heat can be vented directly to the atmosphere.

This?

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Las+Vegas+Convention+Center/@36.1330425,-115.1509965,52m/data=!3m2!1e3!5s0x80c8c4665d150741:0xcedf47f456a54bb1!4m5!3m4!1s0x80c8c46640af22e7:0xa93a4afe2fe7b046!8m2!3d36.131998!4d-115.1516808

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Personally I love power outages. They're kind of fun. For me, that is. Not good for the elderly, though, and people who need the power.

 

[bit_user]

Personally I love power outages. They're kind of fun. For me, that is.

I guess they can be fun in the same way kids like snow storms - they do break the routine. That said, I can't see any upside other than checking our sense of complacency about infrastructure.

Seriously, if you need a power outage to give you some excitement, I think you should get out more.

 

[InvalidError]

Pretty sure you don't put transformers needed to power those convention halls on poles (or indoors). It was probably on a concrete pad, where the waste heat can be vented directly to the atmosphere.

If the transformer was outdoors, it should have been weatherproof and a bit of condensation would have been a non-issue as outdoors transformers are designed to be flat-out rained on without issue.

If condensation caused something to flash over and blow fuses / trip breakers, that sounds distinctly like something that could only happen if the electrical installation was in a normally dry location and the equipment non-weatherproofed. Either that or a failing insulator.

 

[bit_user]

If the transformer was outdoors, it should have been weatherproof and a bit of condensation would have been a non-issue as outdoors transformers are designed to be flat-out rained on without issue.

If condensation caused something to flash over and blow fuses / trip breakers, that sounds distinctly like something that could only happen if the electrical installation was in a normally dry location and the equipment non-weatherproofed. Either that or a failing insulator.

Fair enough.

I'm skeptical it was really condensation, BTW. Maybe that was the most exculpatory answer they could give, but I suspect something more along the lines of leaks or splatter, as you're suggesting. If you look at the time of the outage (11:15 AM), I wonder whether the equipment would still be cold enough to facilitate much condensation. Also, there's your point about abundant waste heat.

I think the step-down transformers are probably shown in the above link, but I'm not totally sure as Vegas seems to use underground transmission lines?

 

[InvalidError]

I think the step-down transformers are probably shown in the above link, but I'm not totally sure as Vegas seems to use underground transmission lines?

Having underground feeds doesn't exclude having above-ground transformers fed by those underground lines. Some neighborhoods where I live have underground feeds with above-ground transformers on concrete pads. Waste heat on those is enough to self de-ice in winter and those are merely 25-50kVA. For the convention center, we're likely talking 200+kVA.

 

[BulkZerker]

It wasn't condensation getting in, it was from rainfall getting past weather seals, which does happen. Especially during down-pour conditions. Which the Mojave desert is famous for having, and giving the Vegas area the brunt of the water flowing down from the mountain ranges.

 

[bit_user]

I think the step-down transformers are probably shown in the above link, but I'm not totally sure as Vegas seems to use underground transmission lines?

Having underground feeds doesn't exclude having above-ground transformers fed by those underground lines.

I don think I was saying that. Did you click the link?

 

[alextheblue]

Personally I love power outages. They're kind of fun. For me, that is.

I guess they can be fun in the same way kids like snow storms - they do break the routine. That said, I can't see any upside other than checking our sense of complacency about infrastructure.

Seriously, if you need a power outage to give you some excitement, I think you should get out more.

I don't *generally* mind them once in a while, good test of the UPSes and various battery-powered devices. Also reminds me to keep certain things handy like lanterns and emergency supplies. They're NOT good when they happen often, repeatedly, or during extreme temps.

But yeah I wouldn't describe them as fun, not since I was a kid and it meant breaking out the glow sticks. On a related note, I had almost forgotten that glow sticks were a thing. LED lanterns with adjustable output have supplanted them for me.