"Electric Nightmare" story from 1973. really interesting, but is it feasible?

[JosephKK]

The only way I can see someone get electrocuted *from the ground* is if
there is an enormous electrical gradient. It would have to be something
like 50V per ft. Which means that the 13kV would be flowing across a gap
about 200 ft wide. Walking or lying at right angles to the gradient
would not result in any PD across the body.

Where to begin to explain? No body dimensions are zero. There are
much higher voltages running around in densely populated areas, up to
330,000 V phase to phase. Any insulation at 50 V/Ft will help, lying
down will not (of course if you are unconscious you may not have
choice as to orientation or body position.).

 

[Paul E. Schoen]

Where to begin to explain? No body dimensions are zero. There are
much higher voltages running around in densely populated areas, up to
330,000 V phase to phase. Any insulation at 50 V/Ft will help, lying
down will not (of course if you are unconscious you may not have
choice as to orientation or body position.).

Unless the ground were uniformly saturated, there could be drier, less
conductive areas that would have a gradient high enough to cause major
problems. Maybe that is why there were so many high voltage manifestations
inside the house. It seems that the safe way to traverse an area, where a
live line is injecting current into the ground, would be to hop on one
foot, or at least keep both feet close together. Running with only one foot
on the ground would be safe, but long strides, or lying down, would be most
dangerous.

I have heard that the voltage gradient below a high voltage transmission
line can be high enough to cause a spark if a metal gas can is moved from a
pickup truck bed or car trunk to the ground, creating a fire hazard. The
following have some information about high voltage and the possibility of
sparks in vehicles near the line:

http://infao5501.ag5.mpi-sb.mpg.de:8080/topx/archive?link=Wikipedia-Lip6-2/1205325.xml&style

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/publications/eng_publications/electrical/transmission_line_study.pdf

Paul

 

[JosephKK]

On my road, there is only single phase power, and the neutral is shared
along some parts with the low voltage 240 VAC from the pole pigs. The three
phase power on the road at the nearby intersection has three lines and no
apparent neutral, and it appears that the single phase is simply tapped off
one of these lines. There must be a neutral somewhere, so I wonder if the
three phase has one conductor grounded? In that case, there would only be
two high voltage lines, and the third grounded conductor could be at the
top and serve as a safer point for lightning to strike. I'll have to take a
closer look at the connections up the road.

It can't be as bad as some of the following "Electric Nightmares", but I'll
take my camera along just in case:

http://www.lanl.gov/safety/electrical/media.shtml#wrong

Paul

Just speaking from my experience: 120/240 V has a grounded / neutral
lead. 120/208 3-phase has a grounded neutral. 277/480 V 3 phase has a
grounded neutral. In general 3-phase power distribution under 600 is
wye configuration with a grounded neutral.
When you get to the kilovolt range most is ungrounded delta
configuration.

 

[Dirk Bruere at NeoPax]

http://tinyurl.com/5rhv3n

"A tourist who relieved himself over a live railway line at a south
London station was electrocuted.

The Polish man died when an electric current connected with urine which
had splashed on to the 750-volt line.

It is thought the married 41-year-old teacher was on a trip to London to
improve his English.

Workers found his body slumped over a track at Vauxhall station after he
was seen by staff at the station.

They had earlier spotted him on CCTV screens walking into a recess area
but failing to reappear.

Rail workers fear the victim may not have known that some tracks in
Britain are electrified.

It took police a week to identify the victim after the tragedy, which
happened at around 5pm.

A source said: 'Perhaps because he was from Poland he had no idea the
rail was electrified. His family back home is heartbroken.'

The station has no toilets, but there are public toilets nearby. "

 

[Dirk Bruere at NeoPax]

Serves him right for wearing conductive shoes and standing on wet ballast,
or another rail - otherwise how could it have happened? Maybe he got a bit
of a shock and then fell into skin contact with the two adjacent rails, or
maybe he was hit by a passing train. Whatever the case, might one wonder if
there's more to it than reported by The Daily Mail?

Given that it was S London I wouldn't be surprised if he was pushed on
the rail.

 

[Tim Williams]

Serves him right for wearing conductive shoes and standing on wet ballast,
or another rail - otherwise how could it have happened?

Not to mention he'd have to be damn close to the rail to get nipped. Urine
breaks into droplets after a few decimeters.

Tim

 

[Martin Griffith]

http://tinyurl.com/5rhv3n

"A tourist who relieved himself over a live railway line at a south
London station was electrocuted.

The Polish man died when an electric current connected with urine which
had splashed on to the 750-volt line.

It is thought the married 41-year-old teacher was on a trip to London to
improve his English.

Workers found his body slumped over a track at Vauxhall station after he
was seen by staff at the station.

They had earlier spotted him on CCTV screens walking into a recess area
but failing to reappear.

Rail workers fear the victim may not have known that some tracks in
Britain are electrified.

It took police a week to identify the victim after the tragedy, which
happened at around 5pm.

A source said: 'Perhaps because he was from Poland he had no idea the
rail was electrified. His family back home is heartbroken.'

The station has no toilets, but there are public toilets nearby. "


http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1453527.ece

Sad


martin

 

[Dirk Bruere at NeoPax]

This is likely to be an urban myth. Go rent MYTHBUSTERS, Episode 3,
DVD one, season one.

Still, it was carried by all the major UK newspapers.

 

[JosephKK]

Still, it was carried by all the major UK newspapers.

Sadly, such is the nature of "journalism" today