UP Ibalon Bicol: electricity

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Today is the death anniversary of Nikola Tesla.

1/08/2010 | Posted by gimpayamd@gmail.com | Edit Post

Nikola who? If you don't know him, can't blame you. But I am glad he is alive in Facebook with over 200,000 fans--- way below Michael Jackson's 10 million but much ahead that of his nemesis, Thomas Alba Edison who has just over 900. Nikola Tesla deserves more.

Ostracized and persecuted in his time because of an obsessive-compulsive behavior (a little understood disorder in his time), Tesla is now regarded as the "mad scientist" who invented the 20th century and probably beyond. Electricity that powers our homes and applicances ---and, yes, computers---is a result of Tesla's works on Alternating Current (AC). Maybe partly because of OBC, Tesla was so obsessed with "free energy for all" that he refused to impose royalties out of his AC patents. He could have been the richest man in his time and, who knows, a Tesla-AC royalty fee would still be an unwelcome burden in our electric bills.

Whereas we still hear of Westinghouse, General Electric, huge companies that benefited from his AC technology; Tesla died in 1943 at the age of 86, impoverished, leaving unfinished projects behind. Pure science ruled Tesla's life, unmindful of his finances. He should have been resting today in a tomb made of diamonds, which he deserves, but did not want to. There lies the greatness of the man.

I am not into fan pages but I take exception---way of saying "Thank you, Nikola Tesla." And we have not talked about the Principle of Resonance yet! ---another mind-boggling concept that will forever be equated with his name.

Labels: Alternating current, electricity, Nikola Tesla, resonance, Thomas Alba Edison

Brazil and Paraguay hit by massive blackouts

11/11/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

Because of malfunction of a dam between Brazil and Paraguay, neighboring countries in Latin America, were stricken with severe electrical outages that rendered key cities like Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo in darkness.

Relying on electricity from the Itaipu dam, both countries were without lights. The the breakdown of the dam knocked out power in at least 26 Brazilian states. Among the affected were areas in the southeastern industrialized regions. The entire Paraguayan territory which largely gets power from the damaged dam experienced transient loss of electric power.

According to Jorge Samek, the manager of the world’s biggest hydroelectric plant said the dam malfunctioned--- plunging many places in Brazil into chaos. Traffic slowed causing vehicles to clog major roads and highway. Although airports did not suffer significant delay of flights, the subway transport system was interrupted forcing thousands of Brazilians to walk on the tracks on their way their destination. Rio de Janeiro state governor deployed additional police to maintain safety in the streets while the public waited for electrical power to return.

In Paraguay meanwhile, 90% of the nation had its electrical power dead for about 15 minutes, but it was quickly restored. An estimated 17,000 megawatts as much as what Soa Paulo state consumed is lost. With high volume of tourists and visitors, Brazil is the largest economy in the whole Latin America. (Photo Credit: www.photo4travel.com) =0=

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Labels: black out, Brazil, electricity, hydroelectric plant, Paraguay, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paolo, Totie Mesia

RP’s Bataan nuclear power plant sold for a measly $2,859 million

4/20/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

One of the most stupid deals that the disgraced Marcos regime left the Filipinos was the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP)--- a white elephant which was never used because of safety concerns. Studies on the facility disclosed numerous safety-defects which made it too costly to revive after more than 3 decades of non-operation.

Built in 1976 and finished in 1984 in response to the oil crisis three decades ago, the overpriced behemoth energy facility that could have supplied the country of needed electricity was offered for sale in 2005. Only now did the nuclear plant have its buyer.

The sale surely brought back bitter recall of a useless facility in Morong, Bataan which never generated electricity, but caused Filipino taxpayers $155,000 per day for more than 30 years. It was built by the Marcos at cost of $.2.3 billion on a borrowed funding of $1.06 billion, the country’s greatest single debt obligation,

“When Marcos was overthrown by the so-called People Power Revolution in early 1986 a team of international inspectors visited the site and declared it unsafe and inoperable as it was built near major earthquake fault lines and near the Pinatubo volcano which at the time was dormant.”----Energy Bulletin (06/03/04, Wilson, K)

As scrap, Philippine government sold BNPP to a local company, the Ruberon Inc., for a give-away sum of $2,859 million (0.124% of its construction cost) ----the measly tag (doesn't include the land) for the plant’s building structures, plant equipment, and accessories apt to be recycled and sold for a profit. Ruberon’s officer on legal affairs Feliciano Clemencio had this to say of BNPP:

“Because the asset had been decommissioned, the company would dismantle the facilities, retrieve some usable materials, and then recycle it to be sold to local and foreign buyers. The trading of metals is better than opening new mining sites. This is one alternative: recycling some of the metals and melting them” ---Manila Standard (04/18-19/99, Flores, AM)

Considered an environmental hazard, the failed nuclear plant located 60 miles north of Manila is one among the best examples of mismanagement during the time of Marcos whose aftermath is still being felt by Filipinos today. The principal players in the deal were never made to account for their irresponsibility.

“The failure of the Philippines in its attempt to use nuclear energy can be traced to corruption. The nuclear plant, if designed and constructed properly, could have been used to avert a power blackout in the 1980s. The power crisis not only plunged the whole country into darkness, it crippled the local economy, especially the manufacturing sector.” ---Yehey (07/03/09, Palatino, M)

Under Pres. Cory Aquino’s watch, the BNPP’s operation was banned and written in the constitution. Subsequent administrations were unsuccessful in finding ways to make outdated BNPP useful. The debt burden of the mothballed nuclear plant had caused tremendous financial pain for the country long before the current economic crisis came. (Photo Credit: IAEA.org/ Rotaru, I) =0=

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Labels: Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, BNPP, electricity, energy, environment, Ferdinand Marcos, loss, nuclear hazard, nuclear plant, sale, Totie Mesia

UP Ibalon Bicol

Today is the death anniversary of Nikola Tesla.

Brazil and Paraguay hit by massive blackouts

RP’s Bataan nuclear power plant sold for a measly $2,859 million

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