Why not use graphite bombs when 30% of the power plants in Uzbekistan have been destroyed?

What is the impact of Ukraine’s power grid?

Recently, President Ze of Ukraine said on social media that since October 10, 30% of Ukraine’s power plants have been destroyed,

leading to large-scale blackouts across the country.

The strike effect on Ukraine’s power system has also initially appeared. The relevant information is shown in the figure below.

The red color in the figure represents damage, the black color represents power failure in the region, and the shadow represents

serious power supply problems in the region.

Statistics show that Ukraine will generate 141.3 billion kWh of electricity in 2021, including 47.734 billion kWh for industrial use

and 34.91 billion kWh for residential use.

30% of the power plants have been destroyed, which adds many “holes” to the already fragile Ukrainian power grid, and has really

become a “broken fishing net”.

How big is the impact? What is the purpose of destroying Ukraine’s power system? Why not use lethal weapons such as graphite bombs?

According to the sources, after several rounds of attacks, the energy infrastructure in Kiev is gradually failing, and Russia has significantly

reduced the ability of Ukraine’s power facilities to supply power to Ukrainian industries and military enterprises.

Indeed, it is to cut off the power supply to military enterprises, rather than destroy and paralyze them. Therefore, it can be guessed that

it is not the most hated weapon used, because if graphite bombs and other destructive weapons are used, the whole Ukrainian power

system may be destroyed.

It can also be seen that the Russian army’s attack on Ukraine’s power system, in essence, is still a closed attack with limited intensity.

As we all know, electricity is an indispensable energy for economic development. In fact, electricity plays a key role in determining

the outcome of a war.

 

War is the real power consuming monster. How much power does it take to win a war?

War requires the use of weapons, and the demand for electricity from modern weapons is far from an old radio station that can be

satisfied by a few dry batteries, but requires a more powerful and stable power supply.

Take aircraft carrier for example, the power consumption of an aircraft carrier is equivalent to the total power consumption of a small

city. Take the Liaoning aircraft carrier as an example, the total power can reach 300000 horsepower (about 220000 kilowatts), which

can supply power to a city with about 200000 people and provide heating in winter, while the power consumption of nuclear aircraft

carriers is far beyond this level.

Another example is the advanced electromagnetic ejection technology. The electric load of the electromagnetic ejection technology

is very large. The charging power of the largest shipborne aircraft when taking off is 3100 kilowatts, which requires about 4000

kilowatts of electricity, including the loss. This power consumption is equivalent to more than 3600 1.5 horsepower air conditioners

being started at the same time.

 

“Power Killer” in the War – Graphite Bomb

During the Kosovo War in 1999, the NATO Air Force launched a new type of carbon fiber bomb, which launched an attack on the

Federal Republic of Yugoslavia power system. A large number of carbon fibers were scattered over the power system, causing short

circuit and power failure of the system. At one time, 70% of Yugoslavia’s regions were cut off, causing the airport runway to lose

lighting, the computer system to be paralyzed, and the communication ability to be lost.

 

During the “Desert Storm” military operation in the Gulf War, the US Navy launched “Tomahawk” cruise missiles from battleships,

cruisers, destroyers and attack type nuclear submarines, and dropped graphite bombs on power transmission lines in several cities

in Iraq, causing at least 85% of Iraq’s power supply systems to be paralyzed.

 

What is a graphite bomb? Graphite bomb is a special kind of bomb, which is specially used to deal with urban power transmission

and transformation lines. It can also be called power failure bomb, and can be called “power killer”.

 

Graphite bombs are usually thrown by fighter planes. The bomb body is made of specially treated pure carbon fiber wires with a

diameter of only a few thousandths of a centimeter. When it explodes over the urban power system, it can release a large number

of carbon fibers.

 

Once the carbon fiber is laid on the exposed high-voltage power transmission line or substation transformer and other power

transmission equipment, it will cause a short circuit between high-voltage electrodes. As the strong short circuit current

vaporizes through the graphite fiber, an arc is generated, and the conductive graphite fiber is coated on the power equipment,

which aggravates the damage effect of the short circuit.

 

Finally, the attacked power grid will be paralyzed, causing a large-scale power outage.

The carbon content of graphite fiber filled by American graphite bombs is more than 99%, while that of carbon fiber filled by

China’s self-developed carbon fiber bombs with the same effect is required to be more than 90%. In fact, the two have the same

performance power when they are used to destroy the enemy’s power system.

 

Military weapons depend so much on electricity. Once the power system is damaged, the society will be in a semi paralyzed state,

and some important military information equipment will also lose their functions. Therefore, the role of the power system in the

war is particularly important. The best way to protect the power system is to “avoid war”.