lucylily's blog: "ght"

NEW ORLEANS -- The company that supplied electricity to the Super Bowl took the blame Friday for the power outage that brought the big game to a halt, explaining that a device designed specifically to prevent a blackout failed and plunged the game into darkness for more than half an hour. The device called a relay had been installed to protect the Superdome from problems in the cable that links the companys incoming power line with the lines that run into the stadium. Officials from Entergy New Orleans said the relay functioned with no problems during Januarys Sugar Bowl and other earlier events. It has been removed and will be replaced. All systems at the Superdome are now working, and the dome was to host a major Mardi Gras event Saturday night, said Doug Thornton, an executive with SMG, the company that manages the stadium for the state. The device was installed in a building near the stadium known as "the vault," which receives a line directly from a nearby Entergy substation. Once the line reaches the vault, it splits into two cables that go into the Superdome. Sundays power failure cut lights to about half of the stadium for 34 minutes, halting play between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers. Not long after Fridays announcement, the manufacturer of the relay, Chicago-based S&C Electric Co., released a statement saying that the blackout occurred because system operators had put the devices so-called trip setting too low to allow the device to handle the incoming electric load. The statement did not name the operators, but the equipment was owned and installed by Entergy New Orleans, a subsidiary of New Orleans-based Entergy Corp. "If higher settings had been applied, the equipment would not have disconnected the power," said Michael J.S. Edmonds, vice-president of strategic solutions for S&C. In a follow-up statement, Entergy said that tests conducted by S&C and Entergy on the two relays at the Superdome showed that one worked as expected, the other did not. Entergy spokesman Mike Burns said both relays had the same trip setting. Entergys announcement came shortly before company officials were to answer questions about the outage from a committee of the City Council, which is the regulatory body for the company. During the committee hearing, City Council member Susan Guidry asked Entergy executives whether they were "fairly certain" that the relay was faulty. "That is correct," said Dennis Dawsey, an Entergy vice-president. However, when asked if the outage was caused by the design or a defect in a part of the equipment, Entergy New Orleans CEO Charles Rice said that had not been determined. "The equipment did not function properly," Rice said. "At this particular time, based upon our analysis, we cannot say definitively that there was a defect in design. What we do know is that the equipment for some unknown reason, at this particular time, did not react the way that it should have." Asked if Entergy and SMG still plan to hire a third-party investigator to get to the bottom of the cause, Rice said that possibility remains open. "Well work closely with SMG, and if there is a need for a third-party investigation, we will do that," Rice said, adding that Entergy was also working with the manufacturer. Shabab Mehraeen, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at Louisiana State University, said the relay device is a common electrical fixture in businesses and massive facilities such as the Superdome. "They are designed to keep a problem they sense from becoming something bigger, like a fire or catastrophic event," said Mehraeen, who holds a doctorate from the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, Mo. The devices vary in size. Mehraeen, who was not familiar with the relay at the Superdome, said he "wouldnt be surprised if it was bigger than a truck." Mehraeen said the reasons the devices fail are the subject of much academic research into the interaction of relays with the complex electrical systems they regulate. "Its not unusual for them to have problems," he said. "They can be unpredictable, despite national testing standards recommended by manufacturers." Entergy and SMG had both upgraded lines and equipment in the months leading up to the Super Bowl. Rice said the new switching gear, with the faulty relay, was installed as part of a $4.2 million upgrade by Entergy, including the installation of a new power line dedicated solely to the stadium. In a separate project, SMG replaced lines coming into the stadium after managers expressed concerns the Superdome might be vulnerable to a power failure like the one that struck Candlestick Park during an NFL game in 2011. That outage was blamed at least partly on a transformer explosion. Thornton stressed Friday that the dome was drawing only about two-thirds of its power capacity Super Bowl night, and said typical NFL games in late August or September can draw a little more. City officials had worried that the Super Bowl outage might harm New Orleans chances of getting another NFL championship game. But NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell downplayed that possibility, saying the NFL planned to keep New Orleans in its Super Bowl plans. Mayor Mitch Landrieu said the city intends to bid for the game again in 2018. www.thebrownsjerseysshop.com/Womens-Jabaal-Sheard-Nike-Jersey . The decision by the Football Association was taken Tuesday after the Metropolitan Police struggled to contain a third night of unrest in the British capital. "There were certain concerns about the protection of players on both sides with the travel in coaches," said FA chairman David Bernstein, who added he believed this is the first time an England match has been cancelled due to such circumstances. www.thebrownsjerseysshop.com/Womens-Willis-Mcgahee-Nike-Jersey . After two days of weather delays, the European and Asian Tour co-sanctioned event got back on track despite the cold and windy conditions on the Blackstone Course. Noren is at 9 under as he seeks his fourth European Tour victory and first since winning twice in 2011.http://www.thebrownsjerseysshop.com/Womens-Jordan-Cameron-Nike-Jersey . -- Minnesota Vikings quarterback Rhett Bomar apologized to the team Monday after being arrested on suspicion of drunken driving over the weekend. www.thebrownsjerseysshop.com/Womens-Joe-Haden-Nike-Jersey . -- Tampa Bay defensive end Adrian Clayborn will miss the rest of the season because of a right knee injury that will require surgery.www.thebrownsjerseysshop.com/Womens-Dion-Lewis-Nike-Jersey . Bolt said Wednesday he wants to win more gold in Rio, set another world record in the 200 metres next year, and perhaps win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.VANCOUVER -- The Vancouver Canucks second line may be in serious disarray, but at least theyve managed to plug the hole in their top power-play unit. The Canucks will put Danish right-wing Jannik Hansen on the top unit with twin Swedish stars Henrik and Daniel Sedin to start the season. Hansen will fill in for second-line winger David Booth, who is expected to miss 4-6 weeks because of a groin injury diagnosed during physical testing on Sunday. Booth logged a lot of time on a Vancouver power play that converted 19.8 per cent of their power-play chances last season, good for fourth in the NHL. That figure dipped to 14.3 per cent in the post-season. Hansen won the power-play job after the Canucks experimented with a number of combinations during Wednesdays practice. The 26-year-old has yet to score a power-play goal in 271 NHL games, but he is coming off a solid 20-game spell with Finnish club Tappara Tampere. He finished with seven goals and 17 points and, most importantly, received valuable time on the ice when his team had the man advantage. "Its nice to get the opportunity," he said. "I mean every player wants to get an opportunity and its up to the player to prove that they belong there. "This is a very competitive team and we strive to be if not the best then one of the best teams in the league every year and if we want to be there, we need guys stepping up and maybe playing a little bit out of their comfort zone, especially in a time like this (with injuries)." Team captain Henrik Sedin feels his team still has plenty of options on the power-play, including Hansen, despite the absences of Booth and second-line centre Ryan Kesler. "I always thought (Jannik) was very underrated as an offensive player," Sedin said. "He can make things happen out there, hes got a great shot and is a good skater a so hopefully he can be a good option for us. "We know what we can do (on the power-play), I feel very confident with the group we have and wee know (the first unit) has to be a key part of it.ddddddddddddIf you look at our power-play the last couple of years, its been up there so I think we should feel good about ourselves." Hansen -- a hard-working third-liner who recorded 16 goals and 23 assists in 82 regular season games in 2011-12 -- was grateful for the support of the Sedin twins. "Obviously its nice to know that they believe in me and want me out there with them," he said. "But again, its a matter of me proving that I belong there and nothing is a given. "I always put pressure on myself, I try to improve myself everyday and obviously this is a new thing for me so Ill do my best and see where it goes." Hansen said his job was to create space for the Sedins as well as to get in front of the net, saying "you cant be afraid to get hit by a puck." "We were looking at different options there but Jannik does make a lot of sense," Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault said. "Throughout the years at different times we have used him with the twins. It has worked out for us and on the power-play, Jannik has got more skill than people give him credit for and I also think he doesnt mind going to those tough areas. "Hes a real solid net presence and the fact hes a right-handed shot, that helps the power-play." Vigneault says a pair of intra-squad scrimmages open to the public before the season starts will help create a game-like atmosphere for his team ahead of Saturday nights season opener against the Anaheim Ducks. "Theyve got to play hard and play smart and thats what I expect from our guys," he said. "I want them to play the way theyre supposed to play." Added Henrik Sedin: "Its going to be full-on. You might not see a guy coming down and hit someone else from behind, but theres going to be intensity. Youve got to be sharp out there and you cant make plays that youre not going to do when the season starts, thats what were hoping for." ' ' '