Rank: Guest 
|
Posted By Sean Warburton
Can anyone from this sector shine some light please. I was studying for my Unit C exam last night & this was bugging me. Why are electric Pylon wires not insulated in areas where there is an increased likelihood of them coming into contact with people?, IE over areas used for fishing, playing fields etc. Obviously to insulate them all would not be"reasonably practicable" but wouldn't it be reasonably practicable just to insulate areas where there is increased risk given the severity?
I could be speaking out of term so correct me if i am please.
Cheers
Sean
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Guderian
WHile the cable itself is at many 1000's volts, the circuit is not complete until either you or something else touches the cable and another conductor.
At each pylon tower, the cables are insultated from the tower by glass/ceramin insulators with a bypass cable looped below onto the next length of cable/pylon span.
Its like just touching one terminal of a bettery. The electrical voltage is at one electrical potential, hence no current flows until you complete the circuit by contacting something of a different electrical potential.
Hence birds can land on a cable with out getting turned into instant fried chicken.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Sean Warburton
Thanks for your comments.
Yes, i understand all that, the ceramic plates function and the difference in potential etc. But if you made contact with a fishing pole to the wire you would provide a nice path to earth for the electricity would you not? So why not insulate in high risk areas is my question.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Guderian
Because the insulation would make the cables much heavier - hence larger/stronger pylons - deeper foundations would be needed etc, greater cost etc - given the cables are ofter hundreds of metres between pylon towers the weight of the cables is an important factor. Running for many miles across the countryside.
Given the height above ground of the cables, in the vast majority of cases, the cables are 'safe by position'.
You just need to take care when fishing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Sean Warburton
Thanks for that, so you could say it's not practicable to insulate then.
Cheers
P.S
I'm not a fisher man myself, just an example:)
|
|
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.