In: Physics
2. The Cahora Bassa dam, located in Mozambique, is the highest dam in Africa. The hydroelectric facility within the dam generates an average 1,925 MWe. Nearly all of this electricity is exported to South Africa. The power station is linked to Pretoria, 1,420 km away, by a 533.0 kV high-voltage DC (HVDC) transmission line. a. The transmission line consists of eight cables made of aluminum with a steel core for strength and structural support. The total cross-sectional diameter of each cable is 28 mm, while the cross-sectional diameter of the steel core is 14 mm (consider the cross-sectional area as a steel circle in the middle of an an aluminum circle). Treat each cable as if it consisted of one steel and one aluminum resistor arranged in parallel, while the cables themselves are arranged in parallel with each other. What is the total resistance of the transmission line? Material resistivities:
ρ_steel=7.2〖*10〗^(-7) Ω•m
ρ_alum=2.7*10^(-8) Ω•m.
(15 points)
b. On average, how much current flows through the transmission lines? What is the power loss in the line? What is the percentage of power loss relative to the average power generated? (10 points)
c. If the power were transmitted at 333.0 kV over the same cables, what would the power loss percentage be? (10 points)
d. If the dam’s power is sold wholesale to South Africa for US$90.00/MWh, how much revenue would be lost per year, transmitting at 333.0 kV instead of 533.0 kV? (note: the 1,920 MW average production already accounts for the dam’s capacity factor) (5 points)
e. Say you are interested in doing a life cycle assessment to estimate the amount of energy used to build the Cahora Bassa power system, from dam to end user (not the amount energy produced by the system itself). Consider the major parts of the Cahora Bassa power system, from the dam, to the power lines, to the electrical equipment, and everything that was required to manufacture and build them. List ten energy-consuming materials or processes that would be used as inputs in a life-cycle assessment of the construction of this system. (10 points)