High Voltage Cable Inspection

**Wingfoot** · October 7th, 2009, 02:45 AM

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**Trent3342** · October 7th, 2009, 10:20 AM

Originally Posted by Wingfoot

High Voltage Cable Inspection

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I wonder how much they get paid???...Thats nuts!!

**yahoo** · October 7th, 2009, 10:07 PM

are there any jobs like that in louisiana????? if they do get paid well???ha

**Dave72** · October 7th, 2009, 11:47 PM

2 major fears to overcome there eh..

We understand the 'ouch' of falling at such a young age that its sorta burnt into us. All of the proceedures the guy would be following would be set up to reduce his chance of harm of a fall to near zero. Same with the voltage potential. Still, I think Id be much more afraid of the fall than the voltage.

Ive never really grasped why they have to equalize the chopper to the line on approach and depart. The chopper isnt connected to ground, and its hovering in the transmission line fields.. so it should be nearly at the same voltage bias as the lines. And yet the rod probe pulls a nice long arc, implying quite a difference.

**locator_smbk** · October 9th, 2009, 07:21 PM

The difference is in the "potential" in the flow of current and the electromagnetic field surrouding the aerial wires. On aerial 115kv lines, there is a STRONG electromagnetic field and 5 or 6 feet in diameter surrounding each cable. Anything with enough metal to disturb the magnetic field will create a large disruption in the electrons of this field, thus causing a difference in potential.

I wouldnt do this job. I don't mind heights nor do I mind high voltage. I just don't like aircraft...

**Dave72** · October 9th, 2009, 11:30 PM

Originally Posted by locator_smbk

I wouldnt do this job. I don't mind heights nor do I mind high voltage. I just don't like aircraft...

So, are you saying you'd be first out in a parachute jump (providing we got you in there in the first place..) ???

Ya, I guess if you consider the field strengths.. it would indeed be in steps of potential .. the big differences are gonna be closest to the wire.. and those small steps are serious differences. So, if ya dont hold out a bonded rod to let it jump there, it will jump itself at some point.. maybe thru the wire-walker guy sittin there.. or some random piece on the chopper (avionics connected .. yikes). Most likely it would jump to the leg of the chopper , or the end of that platform.. but why take the chance ?

**scap** · October 10th, 2009, 06:46 PM

one mistake and he's roasted.

I wonder how much that dude makes.

**wet_boots101** · October 12th, 2009, 10:33 PM

Dave is exactly right. We were floating this vid around the op center a few months back and everyone who saw it who knows anything about high voltage explained Dave's remarks in one way or another.

I didn't have the volume on... did they actually say 115 kV?

**locator_smbk** · October 12th, 2009, 11:30 PM

Originally Posted by wet_boots101

I didn't have the volume on... did they actually say 115 kV?

I have seen this video on TV before. I want to think the voltage on the lines in the video were much higher than 115kv. I know that is what most Hi-lines are in my part of the country, but the bigger lines crossing grids and the mid-west are twice or sometimes triple that....

**Wingfoot** · October 13th, 2009, 08:55 AM

Fermilab Particle-Accelerator Facility Outside Chicago

Fermilab was the first laboratory to introduce superconducting technology at a big scale. The ring on the floor consists of magnets with superconducting wire coils and was placed under the existing proton synchrotron that was dismantled in 1997. The superconducting wire coils provide magnetic fields up to 5 tesla. In this lower ring, protons and antiprotons, rotating clockwise and counter-clockwise respectively, are accelerated to 1 TeV equivalent to 1 million MeV (1 TeV = 1 Tera electron Volt). This accelerator, the Tevatron, is the first of a new generation of synchrotrons using superconducting technology, which will eventually permit acceleration of particles up to energies of many TeV.

The Fermilab atom-smasher is fed by two 400kv high lines and the electric bill is $1 million plus per month!

400 KV Electrical Transmission Line

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**wet_boots101** · October 13th, 2009, 11:44 PM

Awesome.... unbelievable sometimes. I located @ Fermilab once while doing tel @ CLS. Everything on their campus is "privately owned" since it's a gov't facility. Good pix Wingfoot!

One thing - I'd more likely believe either 345 kV directly connected or, as you say, 400 kV from a substation tied to the 765 kV which runs through IL. There is no such thing as a 400 kV in the state, correct me please somebody if I'm wrong. (I don't work for bulk power.)

**Wingfoot** · October 14th, 2009, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by wet_boots101

Awesome.... One thing - I'd more likely believe either 345 kV directly connected or, as you say, 400 kV from a substation tied to the 765 kV which runs through IL. There is no such thing as a 400 kV in the state, correct me please somebody if I'm wrong. (I don't work for bulk power.)

boots - My bad. It is two 345 kv lines feeding Fermilab. This was confirmed by my buddy who is a lineman that completed the installation of the second 345 kv line this summer. He said the feeder lines were each the size of his wrist. 25 years in the business and has never seen primaries that HUGE.......

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