#精品长文创作季#
In Japan, you will find electric poles on both sides of the street. In some of the denser streets, the overhead staggered wires can even interfere with normal vision.
However, this is rarely the case in China, because most of the country's power supply facilities are buried deep underground by underground cables, but Japan has opted for power poles.
Which way is more advanced? After heated discussions between netizens on both sides, they can't come up with an answer, don't worry, after reading this article, I believe you will know soon.
On the surface, the visual experience of power poles is not as good as that of underground cables. After all, the wires are intricate, and simply using utility poles to solve electricity problems can seem frustrating.
But objectively speaking, underground cables and utility poles really have their pros and cons. Utility poles that don't look good also have advantages, which may not be possible with underground cables.
To compare and analyze these two ways of using electricity, we must first know what an underground cable is. Underground cables are wires wrapped in some insulating materials and anti-corrosion materials, buried deep underground for power supply.
Utility poles are generally made of cement, steel bars and other materials. What is really used to supply power is the wires that are erected on the poles.
First of all, from the perspective of cost, the underground cable uses an AC circuit, which consumes a large capital cost when transmitting current.
The pole uses a DC circuit to transmit electricity, and only two wires are needed to succeed. Whether in terms of construction cost or transmission cost, it is much smaller.
When it comes to transporting electricity, both poles and bottom line cables show different advantages depending on the demand. When it comes to delivering the same amount of current, it is usually the poles that are more efficient.
But in the case of the same transmission method, the underground cable transmits more electricity. This is because underground cables have better heat dissipation and can transport a large amount of power resources at one time.
The wires on the poles are erected high in the air, and these wires are more affected by the environment. Especially in the summer, when the temperature is relatively high, the heat dissipation of these wires is limited.
The ability to withstand it also deteriorates, so it is more likely to short-circuit the wires. Underground cables, on the other hand, have excellent heat dissipation performance because they are buried deep underground.
It should be noted that whether it is an underground cable or a high-altitude overhead line, in the process of transmitting electricity, it will inevitably have an impact on the surrounding area due to the large amount of power resources to be transmitted in a short period of time.
It may not be easy for people to feel it, but communication devices are very sensitive. Fluctuations generated by overhead cables can interfere with communication signals.
Because underground cables are buried deep underground, these interference signals will be greatly weakened by the obstruction of the land, so the impact on communication equipment is small. In these respects, it is indeed underground cables that are superior.
From a technical point of view, whether it is a high-altitude overhead line or an underground cable, it shows different advantages in different application scenarios.
In long-distance high-power transmission, it is natural that high-altitude overhead lines are more advantageous. This type of DC transmission can reduce transmission losses and allow the vast majority of electricity to be delivered to its destination.
Conversely, if there is a need for low-power transmission in close proximity, it is more advantageous to have underground cables. In this case, the underground cable can adjust the voltage according to the demand. This does not cause too much waste of resources and can make efficient use of resources.
These two transmission methods do not say who is better than the other, but only that they have their advantages in different environments.
China and Japan have adopted different transmission methods, which are naturally due to many considerations. Let's take a look at the reasons behind this and see why these two countries made different choices.
Walking in the streets and alleys of China, it is rare to see dense high-altitude lines. In a country with such a large population, electricity consumption is naturally not a small number, so why does China seem to have not many telephone poles?
It's not because China doesn't need to transport electricity, but because it's put the process underground and uses underground cables to deliver electricity.
The decision was made for aesthetic reasons. From ancient times to the present, it is not difficult to see in China's architectural style and urban planning style that the Chinese are very particular about this aspect.
Chinese love symmetrical beauty, which is reflected in the Forbidden City and various ancient buildings. Even today's designers take this design concept into account when planning their cities.
The Chinese pursue macroscopic beauty, and choose to bury cables in the ground. In this way, there will be no cluttered wires in the sky over the city, and the overall look is much more beautiful.
Of course, aesthetics are only one aspect, and the other point is of course due to environmental considerations. These wires, which are exposed to the air, are not only easy to accidentally injure small animals, but also easy to injure people.
Especially in windy weather, if some debris is hung on the power line, there is a high probability that pedestrians will be electrocuted.
The voltage of these wires used to transmit electricity is generally very large, and the probability of electrocution is very high. It is also important to consider the impact of natural disasters.
Earthquakes and typhoons can uproot these power poles. The difficulty of electricity is not the biggest problem, but the most terrible thing is that it will cause casualties.
China's approach to underground cables is also a matter of long-term cost. Although in the early stages of construction, underground cables cost more than utility poles.
For example, some insulation, as well as the additional costs associated with excavating cable ducts. These add up to a lot taller than a telephone pole, so why would China still do it?
Of course, it's not that there is no place to spend more money, but that although there is a lot of investment in the early stage in this way, every penny is not spent in vain.
After the construction is completed, the number of repairs in the later stages will be greatly reduced, the maintenance costs will be greatly reduced, and most importantly, the service life will be long.
These underground cables can be used for decades and can be regarded as "once and for all". The cost of urban construction in the later stage will also be reduced in this item, which is a very cost-effective investment.
Someone has roughly calculated that if the construction cost of these two types of electricity is subtracted by the service life, the result is a lower cost of underground cables.
Finally, it has a lot to do with urban planning. With the acceleration of domestic development, many large cities have also taken on a new look.
Urban planning has become an important part of development, and it is constantly being demolished and rebuilt. As an infrastructure, residential electricity consumption should naturally be taken into account in urban planning.
If telephone poles are used, then in the process of renovating the city, it will need to be constantly demolished and rebuilt. In this way, the cost of electricity facilities is actually very high.
However, if only underground cables are used, it is too convenient to solve these problems by simply changing the distance and direction of transmission.
Unlike China, Japan is keen to use telephone poles. This is also related to various factors such as Japan's geographical environment and national policies.
First of all, there is the geographical factor, Japan is an island country, which is located right on the seismic zone. Therefore, it is normal for earthquakes to occur in Japan, and every earthquake is very powerful.
Telephone poles are used as a method of power transmission, which can be destroyed by shaking down in an earthquake. However, if you use underground cables, you will still not be able to escape the end of destruction in the face of earthquakes.
Since both ways will be broken, why not choose the less costly one?
It's for economic reasons. The upfront construction of underground cables does require a lot of money, which is a significant expense for Japan.
Especially because of the country's special geographical environment, even small earthquakes are likely to cause damage to cables and power poles.
The cost of repair and maintenance in the later stage is a very large expense, and the Japanese government is naturally unwilling to pay this money. They prefer to opt for less expensive poles for power.
This is also a way to save costs, and the Japanese have their own account in their hearts.
There is another special factor, and that is the cultural factor of Japan. It's hard to understand, but electric poles have long been a culture in the minds of the Japanese.
The telephone poles that stand on the streets and the power lines that are densely packed in the sky are unique to the eyes of the Japanese. They believe that it is a culture unique to Japan, so it is still preserved.
To a certain extent, this is indeed a unique way of transmitting electricity that Japan has preserved to this day due to its special geographical environment and special historical background.
Over time, the Japanese have tacitly accepted the existence of this culture.
Considering the above factors, Japan is limited by its economy and culture, so it cannot choose the method of underground cable transmission like China.
But the Japanese have tacitly agreed that this is their own culture. After all, power pole transmission also has its own advantages and characteristics, and these are exactly in line with Japan's needs.
Perhaps one day in the future, Japan will find a more efficient way to transmit electricity, and power pole transmission will be a thing of the past.
Whether it is power pole transmission or underground cable transmission, each has its own characteristics for different transmission situations, different geographical environments, and the electricity needs of different countries. It is not difficult to see that there are pros and cons to both.
China's economic strength and the low frequency of natural disasters such as earthquakes make it more suitable for underground cable transmission, which is the most cost-effective when considered.
An entire country like Japan is located in an earthquake zone, and the high frequency of earthquakes makes transmission equipment very vulnerable to damage, and the cost of repairs is too high to afford. In addition, Japan has a small land area, and power pole transmission can meet the electricity demand of the entire country, so power pole power transmission was chosen.
Perhaps one day in the future, both China and Japan will find new ways to transmit electricity and find a more suitable way to transmit electricity.