Induced atmospheric vibration was the cause of the Spanish power outage

The Portuguese grid operator — REN — is out with a diagnosis of what happened with the huge power outage today:

• Due to extreme temperature variations in the interior of Spain, there were anomalous oscillations in very high volatge lines, something called ‘induced atmospheric vibration’
• These osculations cause synchronization failures between the electrical systems
• It’s a complex phenomenon and there is a need to rebalance electricity flows internationally, it could take a week to fix

That’s fascinating.

Here is how DeepSeek explains it:

Induced Atmospheric Vibration (IAV) in high-voltage power lines refers to low-frequency oscillations (typically 0.1–10 Hz) caused by corona discharge effects near the conductors. Here’s a brief breakdown:

1. Cause:

   • When high-voltage lines operate near their corona inception threshold, ionization of surrounding air molecules occurs, creating space charges (ions and electrons).

   • Under
     certain conditions (e.g., high humidity, rough conductor surfaces),
     these charges interact with the electric field, generating periodic electrohydrodynamic (EHD) forces.

2. Mechanism:

   • The EHD forces induce pressure waves in the air, causing vibrations in the conductor or nearby objects (e.g., insulators).

   • Unlike aeolian vibration (caused by wind) or galloping (large-amplitude motion), IAV is driven purely by electrical-atmospheric coupling.

3. Effects:

   • Usually low amplitude but can contribute to fatigue over time.

   • May exacerbate other vibration modes or cause audible hum.

4. Mitigation:

   • Smooth conductor surfaces (e.g., polished or coated wires).

   • Optimized voltage gradients to minimize corona.

IAV
is less common than mechanical vibrations but is studied for its unique
electromechanical interactions. …

The vibrations can lead to fatigue cracks and loosened hardware.

This article was written by Adam Button at www.forexlive.com.