Capetonians face power shortages as Koeberg goes offline

Posted on January 31st, 2006 by Richard Catto 1,434 views

Capetonians may face power rations

Cape Town’s electricity supply is looking at a power reduction of 30% very soon (within the next 2 months).

The Koeberg nuclear power plant, located just outside of Cape Town across Table Bay, has problems. Koeberg has two power generating units: Unit One and Unit Two. Each are capable of generating 900 MW (megawatts of power).

Unit One was lost on December 25 2005. A loose bolt somehow got inside the generator and damaged it. Unit one was shut down under control. It then took 5 days just for the generator to cool down and another 10 days to dismantle it to get to the problem. That is when they found the loose bolt.

The damage to unit one is extensive – two huge sections of the generator, the rotor and the stator have to be replaced. These parts are not immediately available. New parts would apparently take a year to be manufactured, so Eskom is trying to locate second hand parts from nuclear power stations in Europe and elsewhere. That it is going to take at least 3 months.

So Unit One is out of commission right now until at least mid April 2006. Koeberg now has only Unit Two operational, providing Cape Town with 900 MW of power. Usually it supplies double that amount, and still that is insufficient to meet our power needs. Cape Town imports an additional 3 500 MW from Mpumalanga via overhead lines. Mpumalanga generates that power using conventional coal fired power stations.

So what’s the problem?

Unit two is almost out of fuel. It’s due to be refueled in March and refueling takes four months. However, Eskom’s chief executive, Thulani Gcabashe, has said that the refueling can be delayed for another two months, but that is subject to approval by the National Nuclear Regulator.

In the interim, while we wait for Unit One to be repaired and be brought back online, Capetonians all run a higher risk of losing power. Rolling blackouts might have to be implemented if this crisis is not soon resolved.

Related links:
Sabotage probed at Koeberg nuclear station
Emergency power plans for Cape
Koeberg fault puts Cape under threat of power cuts
Koeberg is overworked
Contact information for Eskom

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The Internet aids friendships, does not displace them

Posted on January 29th, 2006 by Richard Catto 1,234 views

Internet serves as ‘social glue’

Social glue, huh? I guess that would be the opposite of social KY (alcohol)?

Anyway, when I saw this article popping up in my BBC News RSS feed, I just had to read it! I’ve heard too many times, from local people (Capetonians) that reckon spending time online is boring, or a waste of time, or not a real life. Well, gee, how I can put this gently? They’re wrong! The bottom line is that the Internet serves to strengthen social ties, not weaken them.

"A new Pew Internet report done jointly with University of Toronto sociologists shows that the internet helps cultivate social networks and put them into action at times when people need help on important matters in their lives."

If that sounds wafty, here’s the meat. Here are the 8 top things people use the Internet for:

• Getting additional training for your career: About 21 million said the internet had played a crucial or important role in this.
• Helping another person with a major illness or medical condition: About 17 million said the internet had played a crucial or important role in this.
• Choosing a school for yourself or a child: About 17 million said the internet had played a crucial or important role in this.
• Buying a car: About 16 million said the internet had played a crucial or important role in this.
• Making a major investment or financial decision: About 16 million said the internet had played a crucial or important role in this.
• Finding a new place to live: About 10 million said the internet had played a crucial or important role in this.
• Changing jobs: About 8 million said the internet had played a crucial or important role in this.
• Dealing oneself with a major illness or health condition: About 7 million said the internet had played a crucial or important role in this.

Furthermore:

"users of modern technology are less tied to local groups and increasingly tied to looser and more geographically scattered networks."

What that means is that you can meet up with a whole lot of new fascinating people online, some of whom you will actually befriend and add to your social network, even though you may never meet them in person, because they are located very far from you.

Personally, I love the Internet. It empowers me. It informs me. It entertains me. Most importantly, it keeps me in touch with likeminded people. See, I can’t relate to people whose lives do not feature the Internet as a (if not, the) prominent part of it. I can’t imagine going back to living an offline life. That’s just nuts! Scary too.

Related links:
Pew Internet report

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Table Mountain fire claims the life of a 65yo British woman tourist

Posted on January 27th, 2006 by Richard Catto 1,420 views

Mountain ablaze above Cape Town

A careless British male tourist, 36yo, has been arrested for allegedly starting a fire that is still raging on Signal Hill and Lion’s Head in Cape Town.

The fire is believed to have been started by a discarded cigarette. The fire has so far killed a 65yo British woman tourist who was walking with her daughter on Lion’s Head. This is confirmed.

Four houses were also reported to have been ablaze, but there are contradictory reports about this. Some reports say that the fire has come close to, but not destroyed houses in Upper Higgovale.

Authorities are now saying that the fires have been brought under control. I was in Cape Town last night, and I witnessed the fires for myself. The whole of Signal Hill and Lion’s Head were ablaze as well as a large area below the Upper Cableway station. The smell of fire was everywhere, including Sea Point. However a stiff South Easter was blowing the smoke away swiftly.

No-one seemed particularly concerned about the fires, no-one even mentioned them. This is pretty typical for Capetonians – we’ve become very used to the mountain going up in flames every so often. It’s not really much of a conversation piece for us. We expect it to happen. We’re more likely to become concerned if the mountain ISN’T on fire!

Other links about this story:
iAfrica.com – man arrested for deadly Cape fires
The Star – tourist held after cigarette starts Cape Town blaze
UPDATE: Smoker charged – best coverage of the (alledged) perpetrator

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Chris Penn, Actor in Films, Is Dead at 40!

Posted on January 27th, 2006 by Richard Catto 1,268 views

Chris Penn, Actor in Films, Is Dead at 40 – New York Times

I’m in shock! I can’t believe this! Chris Penn was found dead on Tuesday, January 24 2006 in his bed at home in Santa Monica.

I especially remember him from the film, Reservoir dogs, in which he played Nice Guy Eddie.

This quote comes from the link below:

Nice Guy Eddie: Did you see that daddy? Guy got me on the ground and he tried to fuck me.

Mr. Blonde: You wish.

Nice Guy Eddie: Listen Vic, I don’t mind what you do, but don’t try to fuck me in my father’s office, I don’t think of you that way. I like you a lot man, but I don’t think of you that way.

Mr. Blonde: Eddie, if I was a butt cowboy, I wouldn’t even throw you to the posse.

Nice Guy Eddie: Of course not, you’d keep me for yourself, you sick bastard. Four years of fuckin’ punks up the ass you’d appreciate a piece of prime rib when you see one.

Rest in Peace, Chris. You were a great actor, one of the best of our generation, and I will miss you.

Chris Penn links:
Chris Penn’s bio at IMDB.com
Memorable quotes from Reservoir dogs

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New ION drive may take us to Mars and back, perhaps to the Stars!

Posted on January 24th, 2006 by Richard Catto 1,350 views

The ESA (European Space Agency) in The Netherlands has developed a new ION drive prototype that is 10 times more efficient than the current design. It is also 4 times faster than a newer prototype.

So how do ION drives work? Well essentially, they accelerate a stream of (positively charged) ions which exit the rear of the ION drive. At that point, Newton’s Third Law of Motion kicks in (for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction). The stream of accelerated matter going out the back produces thrust which propels the spacecraft forward.

Unlike conventional rocket engines, ION drives keep up that thrust, and you get a slow and steady acceleration over time which makes the spacecraft really shunt!

So how do you get those ions to play ball and speed out the back? Well, the prototypes use electrical grids with varying voltages. The original ION drive design hit the wall at a voltage differential of 5000V, because at that level, the grids started to get damaged. The new improved grid design allows voltage differentials of up to 30 000V. [ touches ION drive ] hmmmm, slight tingle.

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