Method of operating an installation that comprises one or more long electrical conductors

Abstract

The disclosed method of operating an installation that comprises one or more long electrical conductors (exemplarily an electric utility, telecommunication system or pipeline) involves receiving and/or collecting substantially real time data representative of the time derivative of Earth's magnetic field (dB/dt) at a multiplicity of points within an appropriate geographic region, comparing the data (or data derived therefrom) to pre-determined critical values and, if indicated by the result of the comparison, changing the operating conditions of the installation. Use of the disclosed method can make possible system-protective action in the case of solar magnetic disturbances (SMD). Such disturbances in the past have caused black-outs and other undesirable conditions. In a preferred embodiment the installation operator can have available dB/dt "maps" of a multiplicity of spatial scales, ranging from an essentially local scale to a substantial continental one. This not only can aid in the discrimination between operating difficulties due to "normal" causes (e.g., ordinary equipment failure) and difficulties due to SMD, but also can provide warning of impeding operating difficulties, such as possible increased power demand by a remote installation.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.