How Far Can Electricity Travel ??

I'm asking about the O/H power lines on rural country roads . I understand that there are "distribution" stations for the "mega" lines, but what/s the "limit" of residential single phase power ? Thanks

the design factor is a loss of 3% voltage at the end of the run... If the loss is greater than 3%, you have to increase wire size, shorten the distance .   4800 v that Jay is talking about is residential... Power line down the  State Highways are 69,000 or 138,000 volts. substation every several miles to BOOST the voltage back up.. If you traveling city to city, the voltage might be 345,000 volts.  ( a 3% loss would be 10,000 volts !)

Edited by steve(ill) - 19 Jul 2021 at 8:24pm

Steve it is actually 7200 vac
Transmission substations are where the delivery of major power station production is split up, usually station to station but as near here is a major hub where four stations power is directed to is transformed from two from a lower voltage to a common higher voltage here is from 34000v to 365000v and then sent on three transmission lines to major cities or rural step down stations reducing to 34000v. Distribution substations are generally located within a few miles of a transmission sub these will serve a small town or industry with transformer dropping from 34000 to a lower voltage 7200 feed.

May see rural grid loops of several square miles off one distribution substation with limited customer numbers or only a local supply sub with numerous customers. The main limiter is the amperage delivery rate.

Want to note
Electricity does not actually ‘travel’. Electricity is generated as a force much as a gravitational wave and just Exists, electron transfer of energy is the actual process where the energy is on the line nearly as instantly as is generated at all points along the line.

DC electrical flows from source to ground at the source losing value as is utilized, AC changes ‘direction’ sixty times a second or in frequency or cycles and really does not go to ground in doing so but swaps return to feed on the Neutral line even as is grounded that same 60 cycles a second.

Edited by DMiller - 20 Jul 2021 at 3:38am

Normally those "green boxes 3 ft square" are transformers setting on the ground for "underground power cables"... Not sure why they would have 4 in 1/2 mile.  Is there a house by each box ?  Normally you would feed a 7000 volt cable underground the the transformer, then drop it to 240 v to feed that house... then continue with 7000 volts to the next "box" and drop to 240v for the next house, etc...

Edited by steve(ill) - 20 Jul 2021 at 11:29am

500ft apart there about's, maybe more.

YEP... the lock on the cabinet is the same as the lock on the sub station.. Mostly for YOUR SAFETY.. Dont want to play around with  7000 volts... or 69,000 or above.. Some of the higher voltages can  JUMP a foot or two if you get too close..

I think it was one of those trenchers that chews  through rock. Only have a few feet of dirt. I know because I moved the mountain of rocksalong that half mile. House wasn't finished when I bought it. Subdividing is not zoned in this part of the county

No, just 1 at the pole at the road

fixer1958 wrote: My driveway is a 1/2 mile. There are 4 boxes from the road to the house. Green and about 3' square.

 

Edited by FREEDGUY - 20 Jul 2021 at 6:20pm

nope... he said they are on HIS PROPERTY along the drive way.