What is the current flowing through the wires?

In summary, a power plant produces energy at a voltage of 15435 V and is then sent through a transformer with 112 turns in the primary coil and 8613 turns in the secondary coil before being transmitted along long distance power lines with 99.60% efficiency and a resistance of 1323 ohms. The current flowing through these wires cannot be determined without knowledge of the load, as the given resistance is for the power lines, not the load.
  • #1
songminho
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Homework Statement


A power plant produces energy at a voltage of V = 15435 V. Before being sent along long distance power lines this electricity is sent through a transformer with 112 turns in the primary coil and 8613 turns in the secondary coil. If the wires have an efficiency of 99.60 percent and a resistance of 1323 ohms, what current flows through these wires?

Homework Equations


V = IR
V1/V2 = n1/n2

The Attempt at a Solution


V1/V2 = n1/n2
15435/V2 = 112/8613
V2 = 1186979.063

V = IR
I = V / R
= 1186979.063 / 1323
= 897.1875 A x 99.6%
= 893.5988A
But this seems to be the wrong answer. Help please!
 
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  • #2
Weird wording. There is no load specified, ergo not possible to compute current. And I never heard of wire "efficiency".
Maybe the load is supposed to be 1323 ohms and the wire power loss 0.4%?
 
  • #3
songminho said:
V = IR
I = V / R
= 1186979.063 / 1323
= 897.1875 A x 99.6%
= 893.5988A
But this seems to be the wrong answer. Help please!
The above is treating the 1323 Ohms as a load resistance (dividing the transmitted voltage by 1323 Ohms) which is not correct, as 1323 Ohms was given to be the power line resistance. There must be some other unspecified load at the end of the transmission line.

Perhaps the OP's course text provides a definition for efficiency of a power distribution system? For example, if it represents the percentage of the transmitted power delivered at the load end of the transmission line.

Fig1.png


Such a definition would tell us something about the ratio of VR to VT in the above diagram...
 
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1. What is current flow?

Current flow refers to the movement of electric charge through a conductive material, typically in the form of electrons.

2. How is current flow measured?

Current flow is measured in units of amperes (A) using a device called an ammeter.

3. What factors affect the current flow through wires?

The current flow through wires is affected by the material and thickness of the wire, as well as the voltage and resistance of the circuit it is connected to.

4. Why is current flow important?

Current flow is important because it allows electricity to power electrical devices and perform useful work.

5. What are the different types of current flow?

The two main types of current flow are direct current (DC), which flows in only one direction, and alternating current (AC), which changes direction periodically.

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