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I thought you told me that magical chi powers were a myth!
- Thread starter Tony Dismukes
- Start date
Oh my word!
I'm a SCADA engineer that 'controls' electricity for a living and that made my jaw drop. I know it is possible but I am almost tempted to say it's a faked video! You certainly wouldn't get me to do it and I am surprised that they managed to get HSE clearance to do this with an audience that close.
I'm a SCADA engineer that 'controls' electricity for a living and that made my jaw drop. I know it is possible but I am almost tempted to say it's a faked video! You certainly wouldn't get me to do it and I am surprised that they managed to get HSE clearance to do this with an audience that close.
OP
OP
Here's the website of the group that puts this on: http://www.arcadiaspectacular.com/structures/lords-of-lightning
Sukerkin - what are the safety considerations for a show like that?
Sukerkin - what are the safety considerations for a show like that?
Well, electricity wants to flow to ground like water wants to flow downhill so, in theory, it will arc to the nearest grounded conductor (just like a lightning rod will conduct electricity down the outside of a building to earth).
But it's chaotic stuff too, which is why I am surprised to see an audience so close - people standing on the ground make for excellent conductors you see.
The minimum safety distance for 400kV is 3.1M to an object on which a person cannot stand or lean a ladder. 2.4M for 275kV and 1.4M for 132kV. At 400kV it's 5.3M to any place where a person can stand and 8.1M for a normal road surface. Given that the act uses 4000kV, the distances will be proportionally greater (rough calculations can be made with the inverse square law i.e. double the distance, quarter the power).
But it's chaotic stuff too, which is why I am surprised to see an audience so close - people standing on the ground make for excellent conductors you see.
The minimum safety distance for 400kV is 3.1M to an object on which a person cannot stand or lean a ladder. 2.4M for 275kV and 1.4M for 132kV. At 400kV it's 5.3M to any place where a person can stand and 8.1M for a normal road surface. Given that the act uses 4000kV, the distances will be proportionally greater (rough calculations can be made with the inverse square law i.e. double the distance, quarter the power).
