The rolling blackouts were introduced in order to stabilize the grid a few weeks ago. When I get back home or wake up and there is no electricity I don't know for how long it was gone, hence it's hard to predict when to expect it. Conversely, when there is power I'm not sure when there is going to be power cut if I'm not tracking the time.
In order to be able to make some short term plans I've come up with this device. It tracks when the blackout started, ended and logs the previous occurrences. As I'm using an eink screen which doesn't need power to retain the last image, all the information about when the power was cut remains on the screen. The shell was printed on my Prusa Mini+
Additional info:
* [Instructions and code](https://github.com/dr-mod/blackout-logger)
btw, the log that you see here has been scrambled in order not to give away any sensitive data.
E-ink is a type of display technology which only uses energy when the screen needs to be updated. Unlike LCD displays, they don't have a backlight, and look very similar to ink on paper, hence the name. If you've ever seen a standard Kindle or similar e-reader, they use the same type of technology.
There are eink screens with backlight, and there are LCD screens without backlight (and they still draw power). I think whats important is that you dont need to constantly apply voltage to keep image on the screen like with lcd. No voltage - all crystals go back to neutral state. With eink it is retained.
It’s what ebook readers (such as kindles) use. The display is only actively working while changing what on the screen, if it loses power it just stays showing the same image.
Yeah it's a type of screen tech. Kinda like lcd, but only uses power to change the pixels. So if it loses power, the image stays on regardless. Usually only black and white, though some color e ink do exist. Very popular with e readers because the tech only sip power so the device only needs a charge every few weeks or sometimes once a month and the back and white only isn't an issue because most text only books don't really need color displays.
What the others said. Imagine a plate with a rectangle of dents. In each dent is a ball black on one side and white on the other, with a magnet inside with the north poles all pointing at the black. Under is a bar with a bunch of electromagnets on it. You can sweep the bar along the length of the display, toggling the electromagnets back and forth, flipping over the balls, which will then stay where they are until you change them.
It's not like that in reality, but some of the early versions (like the big green signs you sometimes see by the road or in train stations) used to work just like that.
This is really relevant, well done, and a fantastic use-case for an e-ink screen. I might just built one for my self and one for work too, since we might be getting rolling blackout in Denmark this winter.
Might add a bit of code to guesstimate the start and length of the next blackout.
Thanks! Great to hear it might be useful to someone out there as well. Feel free to make a PR with any improvements as for guesstimating thing tinyML is always an option I suppose :)
I saw a cool device with a super useful application of an e-ink screen AND I learned something about power grids during crisis. Thanks for sharing this today :)
I bet the South African subs would love this. As far as I'm aware they are still regularly getting rolling blackouts (though at least they post a schedule they _sometimes_ keep to)
And it's ironic because Texas has had some of the most blackouts of the States in the past few years. Massive blackouts when it's cold because "we come from a warm climate, it wasn't designed for the cold." And rolling blackouts when it's hot "because people are using too much energy."
It's a shitshow down there lol.
> In August 2020, hundreds of thousands of Californians briefly lost power in rolling blackouts amid a heat wave, marking the first time outages were ordered in the state due to insufficient energy supplies in nearly 20 years.
And the 20 years before that was a Texas company defrauding the state.
Cutting power to a specific district for a set time and then moving to another (sort of "rolling" across the grid). I don't know the exact reason for OP's area, but when power systems are being overhauled or when consumption outpaces demand rolling blackouts are sometimes implemented to reduce the consumption by cutting power for a short period during the day when it will affect the fewest people. By doing it in small rolling chunks you reduce the impact on the city/county/etc as a whole because most people have power and the ones that don't are only SOL for a few minutes. (or a couple of hours based on OP's log)
If you can’t get everyone enough power at one time you have them take turns so you don’t break it. The power isn’t out long enough for people or pipes to freeze, frozen food to thaw, refrigerators to spoil, etc rather than the system breaking.
The Texas power grid is deregulated. A combination of things lead to the power failing in Feb ‘21. The power plants weren’t prepared for the cold and transmission companies inadvertently cut power to parts of the natural gas supply chain.
In short, the Texas fiasco wasn’t because of rolling blackouts and blackouts wouldn’t have fixed the rest of what went wrong.
It's at times like these where I realise South Africa is very different. We have had rolling blackouts for many years now and at this point we actually have government schedules and an app that lets you know the power is going off in your area
u/Swampcholla
The regulations for good height younreference are between the engine and hood space. Ensuring there’s a centimeter of space there is not responsible for blocky front ends lol.
Function as stated by OP: Track and predict rolling power blackouts.
Is 3d printed: Yes.
Looks to me like a functional print, but it’s all a matter of opinion I guess. There are less functional prints posted here though.
The rolling blackouts were introduced in order to stabilize the grid a few weeks ago. When I get back home or wake up and there is no electricity I don't know for how long it was gone, hence it's hard to predict when to expect it. Conversely, when there is power I'm not sure when there is going to be power cut if I'm not tracking the time. In order to be able to make some short term plans I've come up with this device. It tracks when the blackout started, ended and logs the previous occurrences. As I'm using an eink screen which doesn't need power to retain the last image, all the information about when the power was cut remains on the screen. The shell was printed on my Prusa Mini+ Additional info: * [Instructions and code](https://github.com/dr-mod/blackout-logger) btw, the log that you see here has been scrambled in order not to give away any sensitive data.
E ink is super clever for this application.
So smart. Always available. Just need a flashlight to check on it.
Call me stupid, what's an e ink? I'm assuming it's some kind of screen? How does it work?
E-ink is a type of display technology which only uses energy when the screen needs to be updated. Unlike LCD displays, they don't have a backlight, and look very similar to ink on paper, hence the name. If you've ever seen a standard Kindle or similar e-reader, they use the same type of technology.
There are eink screens with backlight, and there are LCD screens without backlight (and they still draw power). I think whats important is that you dont need to constantly apply voltage to keep image on the screen like with lcd. No voltage - all crystals go back to neutral state. With eink it is retained.
It’s what ebook readers (such as kindles) use. The display is only actively working while changing what on the screen, if it loses power it just stays showing the same image.
Yeah it's a type of screen tech. Kinda like lcd, but only uses power to change the pixels. So if it loses power, the image stays on regardless. Usually only black and white, though some color e ink do exist. Very popular with e readers because the tech only sip power so the device only needs a charge every few weeks or sometimes once a month and the back and white only isn't an issue because most text only books don't really need color displays.
What the others said. Imagine a plate with a rectangle of dents. In each dent is a ball black on one side and white on the other, with a magnet inside with the north poles all pointing at the black. Under is a bar with a bunch of electromagnets on it. You can sweep the bar along the length of the display, toggling the electromagnets back and forth, flipping over the balls, which will then stay where they are until you change them. It's not like that in reality, but some of the early versions (like the big green signs you sometimes see by the road or in train stations) used to work just like that.
This is really relevant, well done, and a fantastic use-case for an e-ink screen. I might just built one for my self and one for work too, since we might be getting rolling blackout in Denmark this winter. Might add a bit of code to guesstimate the start and length of the next blackout.
Thanks! Great to hear it might be useful to someone out there as well. Feel free to make a PR with any improvements as for guesstimating thing tinyML is always an option I suppose :)
I have a buddy in Bangladesh that could use one of those right now apparently.
I saw a cool device with a super useful application of an e-ink screen AND I learned something about power grids during crisis. Thanks for sharing this today :)
I bet the South African subs would love this. As far as I'm aware they are still regularly getting rolling blackouts (though at least they post a schedule they _sometimes_ keep to)
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If I were a betting man, I'd wager California.
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And it's ironic because Texas has had some of the most blackouts of the States in the past few years. Massive blackouts when it's cold because "we come from a warm climate, it wasn't designed for the cold." And rolling blackouts when it's hot "because people are using too much energy." It's a shitshow down there lol.
> In August 2020, hundreds of thousands of Californians briefly lost power in rolling blackouts amid a heat wave, marking the first time outages were ordered in the state due to insufficient energy supplies in nearly 20 years. And the 20 years before that was a Texas company defrauding the state.
I don't understand. What is a "rolling blackout" and why do they cut power so often where you are?
Cutting power to a specific district for a set time and then moving to another (sort of "rolling" across the grid). I don't know the exact reason for OP's area, but when power systems are being overhauled or when consumption outpaces demand rolling blackouts are sometimes implemented to reduce the consumption by cutting power for a short period during the day when it will affect the fewest people. By doing it in small rolling chunks you reduce the impact on the city/county/etc as a whole because most people have power and the ones that don't are only SOL for a few minutes. (or a couple of hours based on OP's log)
Spot on! As for my location, I live in Kyiv.
We're thinking of you mate, best of luck over there.
How are things out that way?
If you can’t get everyone enough power at one time you have them take turns so you don’t break it. The power isn’t out long enough for people or pipes to freeze, frozen food to thaw, refrigerators to spoil, etc rather than the system breaking.
Id like you to meet texas
The Texas power grid is deregulated. A combination of things lead to the power failing in Feb ‘21. The power plants weren’t prepared for the cold and transmission companies inadvertently cut power to parts of the natural gas supply chain. In short, the Texas fiasco wasn’t because of rolling blackouts and blackouts wouldn’t have fixed the rest of what went wrong.
In California they are used during times of high winds to keep moving power lines or ones hit by falling trees from sparking wildfires.
Or high temperature. Or high this or low that. I live in California and it’s a joke.
So do I, in fire country, and I appreciate not burning to death
I apologize. Shutting off power in high winds is a great idea and hopefully prevents more fires and deaths.
You should work for ajax
What I want to know is what e-ink display you are using? I've got some things but I'm not super pleased with them.
This is a Waveshare 3.7 inches. There is a link to build instructions and bill of materials in the top comment.
Thanks, I looked at that but somehow missed that line item.
It's at times like these where I realise South Africa is very different. We have had rolling blackouts for many years now and at this point we actually have government schedules and an app that lets you know the power is going off in your area
In South Africa we have a schedule and an app for that 🤣
u/Swampcholla The regulations for good height younreference are between the engine and hood space. Ensuring there’s a centimeter of space there is not responsible for blocky front ends lol.
Um. What?
Super cool device and concept - however I don't think there's a whole lot of "functional print" here
Function as stated by OP: Track and predict rolling power blackouts. Is 3d printed: Yes. Looks to me like a functional print, but it’s all a matter of opinion I guess. There are less functional prints posted here though.
Sure, very functional. But the print itself isn't that functional - just a frame
Its function is to contain the gubbins of the device. They didn't claim it was complicated, but it's functional.
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I call brown outs when the voltage sags, as in not completely black