TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Gas Refrigerator (was 25 Hz Power)


Re: Gas Refrigerator (was 25 Hz Power)


T (nospam.kd1s@cox.nospam.net)
Thu, 16 Mar 2006 21:23:56 -0500

In article <telecom25.106.16@telecom-digest.org>,
nospam.kd1s@cox.nospam.net says:

> In article <telecom25.105.11@telecom-digest.org>,
> william_warren_nonoise@speakeasy.net says:

>> Wesrock@aol.com wrote:

>>> On 13 Mar 2006 11:02:58 -0800 hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:

>>>> Someone mentioned Bell using jet engines for central office power
>>>> backup. I'm kind of surprised at this. The electric companies use
>>>> them for summer supplements. They are very expensive to run, but can
>>>> get up to speed very quickly. I believe the phone companies use more
>>>> conventional diesel engines to power generators. If there is a power
>>>> failure, central office battery has enough capacity to keep things
>>>> going for a while, more than enough time to power up a diesel engine.
>>>> The jet engine has the advantage of being smaller.)

>>> Every "emergency engine" I ever saw in a telephone building was a
>>> conventional diesel engine. My father-in-law was shop foreman for a
>>> company that sold and service large earth moving equipment in Enid,
>>> Oklahoma, and from time to time they were called upon to routine the
>>> auto-start emergency engine in the Enid c.o. It was a conventional GM
>>> diesel engine like those used on earth moving equipment and
>>> locomotives.

>> [snip]

>> New England Telephone went with turbine-powered alternators in the
>> large Boston-area buildings, most with capacities far in excess of
>> what was required for the C.O. itself: the unit at Back Bay was rated
>> at 2500 KW.

>> If I had to guess, I'd say they got a good deal because Allison and
>> other turbine manufacturers were selling the aeronautical power units
>> that they had stockpiled during the Vietnam war.

>> The power technicians didn't like them, because they were a major
>> change from the diesel units, but they could power a small city and
>> they were, as I said, used to generate power for the commerical grid
>> during summer peak load periods.

>> Suburban offices with more modest needs remained on diesel.

>> William Warren

>> (Filter noise from my address for direct replies)

> I'm not certain but I think one is also on the PVDRIWADS02 switching
> center, except that it isn't on the roof but built between the old and
> new buildings. I've heard it on several occasions and it does sound
> like a chopper at idle.

> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I am reminded of the old 'Kenwood Bell'
> (Illinois Bell's Chicago-Kenwood central office in its crossbar
> switching days) at 61st and Kenwood Avenue on a hot summer evening
> many years ago. With all the windows open (air conditioning was not
> yet invented, I do not think) you could hear that thing at least a
> block or two away down the street as you walked up to and past the
> property. PAT]

Unfortunately for me I've never heard a live electromechanical switch.
It was a delight testing my recent acquisition, two WE 551C KSU's.
Connecting the A to A1 leads gives a nice thunk of relays engaging and
the light for the card illuminates. Now I just have to apply ring
voltage and see if the interrupter still works.

But I never got to hear things like Panel which existed in my city until
I was 7 years old, but I was unaware of it.

Did get to hear a call processing through a noisy #5 Xbar though when
we moved into North Providence and ended up with a Pawtucket rate
center number. Even that cut to a #5/2000 ESS just before I moved back
to Providence.

Post Followup Article Use your browser's quoting feature to quote article into reply
Go to Next message: Ed Clarke: "Re: Verizon's FiOS TV Service Takes Off in Texas"
Go to Previous message: Carl Zwanzig: "Re: Gas Refrigerator (was 25 Hz Power)"
May be in reply to: Dave Grebe: "Gas Refrigerator (was 25 Hz Power)"
Next in thread: Carl Zwanzig: "Re: Gas Refrigerator (was 25 Hz Power)"
TELECOM Digest: Home Page