[Cialug] [omaha] Google Datacenters

[Todd Walton]

On Mon, Apr 13, 2009 at 9:31 AM, Daniel A. Ramaley
<daniel.ramaley at drake.edu> wrote:
> What i recall from physics and electronics classes is that how the power
> flows through a cable depends on the potential difference (voltage). At
> low potential, the whole cable is used. But at higher potential, only
> the "skin" is used.

Wikipedia says the skin effect is due to alternating current.
Specifically, "Skin effect is due to eddy currents set up by the AC
current".  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin_effect

So, DC wouldn't have it.

> At low voltages (where the skin effect isn't significant)

Low frequencies.

> But unless there's an electrician or a physicist or some other
> knowledgeable individual in the house

I was an electronics technician in a nuclear power plant for about
five years.  But that was many years ago, and I seem to have lost most
of it.  I only remember learning about this phenomenon in class, and
comparing it to the same effect in water flow.  Water flow is higher
around the edges of a pipe than in the center.

-todd