Originally Posted By: ki4buc
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Regarding the transformers (maybe it's been mentioned here) but from my understanding the worldwide production is 35 to 70 transformers A YEAR. There are 100,000's of these larger transformers in the world. From my understanding (I didn't look today), we do not have any domestic (U.S.) production of these transformers. We'll have to buy them, or take them my force, from somebody else. Not even sure that will work with our 60Hz, 120VAC system. Doesn't everyone else have 220VAC, 70Hz or something?


The relativly small transformers used to power homes and busineses are produced in most developed countries, including the USA, by many competing companies.
There are indeed hundreds of thousands of these transformers in use. possibly millions. With an average life of a few decades, that implies anuall production of rather more than 35 or 70.
Utility companies hold stocks of spares.

The problem would be with very large grid transformers, of many hundreds MW capacity, these are used in much smaller numbers of from a few dozen to a few thousand (depending on your defination of "very large")
An anuall production of 35 or 70 would certainly be reasonable for such very large units.
The timely replacement of such transformers damaged by a solar storm could certainly be problematic, though they can sometimes be repaired.
Very large transformers are generaly custom manufactured, and cant therefore be held in stock as spares.
The failure of one or two large grid transformers should not be that serious, after all, although long lasting, they do fail in normal use, or due to lightning. When this happens the utility routes power by alternative routes, useing other transformers, until repair or replacement.
If however a sufficient number of very large transformers were damaged, there could be prolonged blackouts or power rationing.

It should not be required to complelty shut down power grids when a solar storn threatens, but to sectionalise in order to limit cable lengths in which undesirable currents can be induced.

Most countries other than the USA use 220/230/240 volts at 50 cycles rather than the USA 120 volts 60 cycles.
However the very high voltages used for bulk power transmission are more or less standardised world wide, in emergency 50 cycle transformers can be used on 60 cycles, though this is not ideal.

In an emergency, the need for bulk long distance power transmission can be reduced by more local generation near towns and cities.
This could be by the continous operation of plant normally only used in the peaks, or by fleets of large mobile generators.