Book Review: “Electric Power System Basics for the Nonelectrical Professional” by Steven W. Blume

3-phase electricity generation involving rotor and stator could be very difficult to understand for non-electrical person. But it helps those who has some background. The various kinds of power generators could be interesting; I never knew the different kinds of nuclear reactors (pressured water (PWR) and Boiling Water (BWR)). The combustion power generator using the jet engine technology and its variant – combined-cycle power plants – were news to me. The various kinds of circuit breakers (oild, gas, vacuum, and air) and recloser used in a substation are neat. Some day I may be able to recognize one when I see one.

On the consumption side, the author discussed reactive (like Motor) vs. real power (resistor) and the use of the capacitor to increase the power factor. This was in a way very similar to the low-voltage power distribution on circuit boards.

The author went into great lengths on the US power grid systems and the load balancing vs. rotor angle. Informative but not very interesting. I skipped most of this chapter.

Personal safety chapter explains the equipotential zone and how to work safely with high voltage wires. I admire those who work the high voltage as a simple mistake could be fatal.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.