HomeElectricalDifference between Black out and Brown out and spooky phenomenon

Difference between Black out and Brown out and spooky phenomenon

Difference between black out brown out and spooky phenomenon – Black out and brown out are two different things. It may seem like a spooky phenomenon, but in reality it is not. The difference between black out, brown out and spooky phenomenon will now be explained.
Difference between black out brown out and spooky phenomenon –The problem that arises when there is an imbalance in power generation and distribution is called black out. A certain area’s power supply is cut to avoid black out. In case of power supply, we can add the surplus of our neighboring countries’ electricity to our country’s grid. But if we look at the foreign countries, especially France, this extra electricity is needed for their own country. At this time the demand is more than the production of electricity. There is a great lack of balance between the consumption and the generation. If this imbalance continues, there will be extreme problems in our grid at any moment. Then there will be a terrible blackout all over the world. Now we will describe in details about blackout and brownout

Black out brown out and spooky phenomenon :

Black out :

Blackouts usually last a few minutes, but in some cases can take hours or days if the condition worsens. There are many reasons behind this. Many times trees are broken by wind or lightning and fall on the transmission line. Rain, flood or snow causes problems at the substation. Engineers have a hard time fixing this later. This can be caused by software crashes, fires, explosions, human error, etc. Modern energy networks are being decentralized and transformed into smart grids. This puts a lot of pressure on the cyber system and weakens it. The damage of black out takes time to repair electrical equipment and networks.

Brown out :

Brown out is the intentional or unintentional disconnection to reduce electrical stress. Intentionally brown out is usually done to reduce the pressure on the power system in an emergency. The word brown out came from there when the light dimmed from. Basically brownout is flickering lights. The decrease of electricity will affect the brightness of light. Brown out means brownish, dim colour that lights emit during the problem of power supply. Other signs of a brown out indicates rapid switching on and off of electric bulbs.

What causes brown out?

  • Thunderstorms is a cause of creating problem in power supply station.
  • Overloads create pressure on an electrical system.
  • Wrong circuit design.
  • Large electrical power draws.

What is the differences between black out vs brown out?

Brown out is occurred when the power system is overloaded or become faulty.

On the other hand, A black out is a major electrical outage caused by severe weather, equipment failure, lack of proper synchronization.

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Brown out is a partial reduction in total production capacity. On the other hand black out is a complete disruption to the power system. Brown out power supplies are used as an emergency tactic to prevent the system from blacking out. It can reduce the voltage of the overall system by 10-25%. This type of reduced heat has very little effect on light but has a significant effect on electronic equipment.


Suppose it is a rainy night. You are reading a story book by turning on the light in the room. Suddenly you notice that the electric light in the room is flickering. Are you scared? Does this seem like a spooky incident? But that’s not the incident actually.  There is a kind of technical reality inherent in this phenomenon. This phenomenon is called brown out in the language of electrical engineering. This means that when the supply voltage drops, the electric light cannot shine brightly. So there is nothing to panic about considering the incident as a ghost incident. Brown is a kind of dull colour. This is how the event has been named.

Why does brown out happen?

 Brown out happens when the home tapping jumper connection is loose-

Single phase or three-phase lines from the distribution lines tapping our home meter box so it is connected to the home through the concealed line. Brown out occurs when this tapping line becomes loose for any reason such as birds, wind.

When the electrical load on the power system increases-

When the electrical load on the power system increases, the voltage drop across the load decreases. Think of a rainy day, hotchpotch and beef are cooked in your house. You invited your gluttonous friend. You and Your friend sat down to eat hotchpotch. Then surely your share will be less. Similarly, if the system has a high capacity load, it will consume much voltage, which will cause brown out.

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If there is an fault in the house wiring-

Brown out occurs when proper planning for house wiring is not implemented. It will occur if the cable of suitable quality is not selected and the load system is not correct.

If there is an fault in the neutral connection-

Many times if there is an error in the neutral connection, the circuit making is interrupted. So electric bulbs cannot give bright light.

Using rusty circuit breakers- 

Difference between black out and brown out and spooky phenomenon
                    Rusty breaker

Circuit breaker contacts cannot be completely closed when there is a use of rusty circuit breakers. The result is brown out.

How to prevent brown out

The way to resist is clear to everyone. The cause of the problem must be eliminated.

First of all, the jumper connection needs to be strong. So, you have to use a vibration damper on the power line.

Difference between Black out and brown out and spooky phenomenon
                  Vibration damper

What is a vibration damper?

The device used to reduce the vibration of wire in an electrical line is called a vibration damper.

  • Then the electrical connection of the house has to be done skillfully. 
  • It is better to use heavy loads on the system.

Now let’s talk about black out.

Sometimes, a sentence can be heard that today there will be blackouts all over the country or in certain areas. Even if you hear it, many people may not know the technical explanation. 

What is blackout?

The word black here basically refers to darkness. In case of any synchronization error in the power substations covered by an area, the power supply is cut-off. This phenomenon is called black out.

Why does black-out happen?

Black out happens because of lightning, lack of proper synchronization,negligence in annual commisioning and maintenance etc.

Lightning:

Black out on a rainy day is nothing new. Sometimes we have to spend the day with natural air instead of fan air because of black out. This happens when lightning strikes the power system.

Lack of proper synchronization :

Synchronization is disrupted when there is inconsistency in the parameters of frequency, power factor phase shift in, electrical substation. That’s why black out happen.

Negligence in annual commissioning and maintenance:

Substation and pole equipment are usually commissioned and maintained at the end of each year. Commissioning means to check the effectiveness of the equipment of substations and local poles and to take appropriate action if it is not effective. After commissioning, the on-the-spot report has to be submitted to the authorities. Authorities assigned the technical team to carry out the planned maintenance. But many are negligent in these responsibilities.

How to prevent black out:

  • First, the underground line must be used.
  • Smart grid is one of the good ways to solve the problem.
  • Proper maintenance and commissioning of electrical devices.

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Md Nazmul Islam
Md Nazmul Islam
An expert in Electrical & Electronics engineering, I combine my academic background with hands-on experience to craft insightful content. Collaborating with the Voltage Lab team and skilled educators, I’m passionate about sharing research-backed knowledge to empower others in the field.

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