Electrical Frequency Sound From Large Transformer?

Thread Starter

morrobay

Joined Nov 7, 2013
11
Along this beach promenade in Thailand adjacent to a tourist/business
district. There are about 6 transformers (2meters x 3meters x 4meters)
along a 2 km distance. The project objective was to put power spaghetti lines
underground. There is no " electrical frequency sound" around them and
it looks like they have been abandoned and in disrepair. The question is :
Does an operational transformer have a detectable sound ?
 

tcmtech

Joined Nov 4, 2013
2,867
Given their size more than likely yes they would emit some level of humming sounds.

If you can place your ear against them and still not hear anything the odds are they are dead.

Now if you are planning to steal the wire out of them be prepared to find that many transformers are now wound with aluminum which isn't worth the effort to scrap one by hand.

Even worse they can be wound with copper clad aluminum which isn't worth anything. It's looks like copper but when you go to sell it you will find it's absolutely worthless. :(
 

ian field

Joined Oct 27, 2012
6,536
copper wire ain't worth dying over.
Copper theft reached epidemic proportions in the UK. Early summer someone blacked out my whole home town nicking copper at the substation.

It also shut down that stretch of the rail network East coast line - the ensuing travel chaos made national news.

Its not just cables - the Pikeys have been nicking bronze statues and war memorial plaques to name but a few. The laws have recently been changed, banning cash transactions for scrap metal - now there has to be a traceable audit trail for any metal bought by scrap yards.
 

MrSoftware

Joined Oct 29, 2013
2,188
We have had the same problem here in the south USA. Copper stolen from vacant houses, buildings under construction, operating street lights, etc.. I'm always amazed how these guys don't electrocute themselves more often. A favorite item here has been the brass caps and valves used on fire hydrants. The OP didn't mention stealing the transformers, but I can completely understand the assumption that this was his intention, especially since the question was from a brand new member.
 

ian field

Joined Oct 27, 2012
6,536
We have had the same problem here in the south USA. Copper stolen from vacant houses, buildings under construction, operating street lights, etc.. I'm always amazed how these guys don't electrocute themselves more often. A favorite item here has been the brass caps and valves used on fire hydrants. The OP didn't mention stealing the transformers, but I can completely understand the assumption that this was his intention, especially since the question was from a brand new member.
Here in the UK, some bloke put himself in hospital with a gas blast about a year or so ago, its presumed he caused a spark while hacksawing through a gas pipe in a house he probably thought was abandoned.

We occasionally get pictures in various media of the burns these crims get stealing live cables.

For most of those transformers - you'd need a dodgy cousin Harry with his ex-WW2 transporter lorry! The coolant oil in those produces very toxic smoke when burned, the ones with internal switchgear are topped up with pressurised exotic hexafluoride gasses which supress the arc when the contacts open.
 

Thread Starter

morrobay

Joined Nov 7, 2013
11
Where in the OP's post does it say ANYTHING about stealing wire?
Thank you, I dare say Ive encountered some very strange assumptions here.I appreciate the expertise here from some members. The reason Im asking is that the Thai people will never admit it if they are wrong ( saving face )Their so called engineers are equivalent to a two year technician in the West.They have to import engineers for skytrains, bridges and so on.
I understand that these transformers are from France. But I suspect the Thais botched the installation part.
Again for a science related forum Im surprised at some of the above assumptions. This also happened on another thread that was a purely academic guestion.
 

ian field

Joined Oct 27, 2012
6,536
Maybe the OP should watch this, before deciding to fiddle with big transformers. The big flame ball was from a transformer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkDCS8xeobg
That's one of my favourite youtube clips, the original is longer and starts recording from early dawn and continues till its pretty much light.

Another favourite is a clip of the huge arc drawn by gantry mounted moving contacts on a central grid substation.

Probably at least 275kV.
 

MrSoftware

Joined Oct 29, 2013
2,188
Thank you, I dare say Ive encountered some very strange assumptions here.I appreciate the expertise here from some members. The reason Im asking is that the Thai people will never admit it if they are wrong ( saving face )Their so called engineers are equivalent to a two year technician in the West.They have to import engineers for skytrains, bridges and so on.
I understand that these transformers are from France. But I suspect the Thais botched the installation part.
Again for a science related forum Im surprised at some of the above assumptions. This also happened on another thread that was a purely academic guestion.
I hope we didn't offend you, I apologize if I did. I also hope you understand that some of us are from areas where metal theft is very prevalent and your question by itself would appear suspicious to someone from such an area. Especially here on the internet where we really no nothing about each other. ;)
 

atferrari

Joined Jan 6, 2004
4,764
Whether those French transformers are finally going to be stolen, sold, disconnected, disassembled, buried or left as is, basing the chances of a safe handling on the absence of humming sounds crazy if not ridiculous.

Better bring a French electrical engineer with suitable equipment to test them before attempting anything.
 

ian field

Joined Oct 27, 2012
6,536
Whether those French transformers are finally going to be stolen, sold, disconnected, disassembled, buried or left as is, basing the chances of a safe handling on the absence of humming sounds crazy if not ridiculous.

Better bring a French electrical engineer with suitable equipment to test them before attempting anything.
.............or throw a bicycle among the overhead insulators/cables.
 

alfacliff

Joined Dec 13, 2013
2,458
some of the ground mounted transformers now days are epoxy impregnated, and dont hum very much. the older oil filled ones are usually found in substations or on poles.
cliff
 
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