Xref: utzoo sci.electronics:13173 sci.physics:13806 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!zephyr.ens.tek.com!tektronix!nosun!qiclab!m2xenix!sma2!fred From: fred@sma2.uucp (Fred Brooks) Newsgroups: sci.electronics,sci.physics Subject: Re: St Elmo's Fire (was Re: Lightning) Keywords: Induction Message-ID: <516@sma2.uucp> Date: 27 Jul 90 09:10:25 GMT References: <1990Jul18.111525.5749@ioe.lon.ac.uk> <1203@gold.GVG.TEK.COM> Reply-To: fred@sma2.UUCP (Fred Brooks) Organization: sma2 Lines: 18 In article <1203@gold.GVG.TEK.COM> grege@gold.GVG.TEK.COM (Greg Ebert) writes: >I had an insulator from a 16KV power line which had an unusual melted spot on >the mounting flange, like someone heated it with a torch and let the molten >metal 'run' a bit. I've always wondered if it was from a lightning strike. I've read that dc voltage (maybe .0000115 HZ ?) is induced into power lines at about 7 volts per kilometer with current in the amp range. I wonder if anyone has tried to use this as a power source. A article in Spectrum said that this was suspected as the cause of a major power backout in Canada a few years ago. The induced DC voltage saturated the core of the big step up transformers which then generated harmonics that overloaded and tripped the breakers. -- Defend your 2nd amendment rights. Fred Brooks (503) 255-3990 Portland Oregon