[TowerTalk] New power line phenomena problem

[Jim Miller]

Interesting,

1. How much power(current through a voltage regulator possibly) and
2. what is the minimum power line voltage necessary to induce any "usable"
amount of power?
3. Are we talking dangerous if, say an old electric fence wire now
disconnected but still mounted and not grounded?  Could it do more than get
one's attention?

tnx es 73, de Jim KG0KP

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gene Smar" <ersmar at comcast.net>
To: <K7LXC at aol.com>; <towertalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2004 11:36 PM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] New power line phenomena problem


> TT:
>
>      This isn't as far-fetched as it might sound.  Ignoring the
> reporter's layman description of the physics involved (power dropping
> off the line), there are practical applications for such
> capacitively-coupled energy.  (Remember - the power line and long
> barbed-wire fence wires are two parallel conductors, one of which is
> energized at considerable voltage.  The fence can be energized to
> considerable voltage, too.)
>
>      While working for a power company, my colleagues and I were granted a
> patent for a thermopile-and-propane-gas uninterruptible power supply (UPS)
> for fiber-optic repeaters along power transmission lines:
>
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/search-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=ptxt&s1=smar.INZZ.&OS=IN/smar&RS=IN/smar .
> We used this capacitively-coupled energy in a power line's ground wire
> (connecting the tops of consecutive towers) as the primary heat source for
> the UPS's thermopile, and propane would kick in as the backup during power
> outages on that line.
>
>      We got our idea for using the ground wire as a primary source of
energy
> from researchers in Hydro Quebec.  They used the ground wire of a 735 kV
> line to power beacon strobes and microwave repeaters.  We listed these
guys
> under Other References, found near the beginning of our patent
application.
>
>      The lesson to be learned here is it IS possible for long wire fences
> running in proximity to and parallel with high-voltage power lines to have
> electric energy coupled into them.  Caveat Amateur!
>
> 73 de
> Gene Smar  AD3F
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <K7LXC at aol.com>
> To: <towertalk at contesting.com>
> Cc: <k5zg at woh.rr.com>; <dbwalter at globaltaxhelp.com>; <N0AX at arrl.net>;
> <K7ST at pacificarch.com>; <K7ROK at zipcon.com>; <midnight18 at cox.net>;
> <wwdxc-l at eskimo.com>; <James_L_Campbell at dom.com>
> Sent: Friday, January 23, 2004 2:53 PM
> Subject: [TowerTalk] New power line phenomena problem
>
>
> > Greetings, TowerTalkians --
> >
> >    >     He also said that he was shocked once from his own fence.
Because
> of the
> > high voltage, power can drop off the lines, charging metal nearby,
> Bonneville
> > Power officials acknowledge.  Seattle Times, January 21, 2004.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Steve     K7LXC
>
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