US Cents are more Zinc than Copper. We have large Zinc businesses here so the Cent is not going away any time soon.
I just carefully put two of those dang worthless zinc-slugs away so the dogs can not possibly eat them. It is unlikely, but Zinc in stomach acid can be VERY bad. I think if it was a toy it would be banned (swallowable and toxic).
I just carefully put two of those dang worthless zinc-slugs away so the dogs can not possibly eat them. It is unlikely, but Zinc in stomach acid can be VERY bad. I think if it was a toy it would be banned (swallowable and toxic).
Smoke 'em if you got 'em!
In a very similar vein, I met a lineman (I was an inside wireman, IBEW) who had moved into the area and was working for the city (a division of which is the electrical utility). We got to talking and I asked him my favorite electrical experience question, "what is the absolute weirdest thing you've seen or encountered, electrical-wise, during your career?"
He told me it was a substation fault alarm one night in a sub near Blythe, Ca. He was the district troubleman that night. He jumps in the service truck and heads for the sub.
Upon arrival, in the dimness of the desert evening light he notices something amiss but barely visible inside the fencing. Like two large gunny sacks, looking dark against the dark ground inside the fence. What he found he described as two good sized piles of charcoal on the ground.
The article linked to in this thread contains the words "lucky to be alive". Not so for the two now charcoal-men, one of which we can surmise had cut into a live 67,000 volt cable
with the intent of stealing it. Poof. This created quite an arc flash incident in the final milliseconds of their lives. Enough heat energy to create steel from pig iron. Bad idea.
In a very similar vein, I met a lineman (I was an inside wireman, IBEW) who had moved into the area and was working for the city (a division of which is the electrical utility). We got to talking and I asked him my favorite electrical experience question, "what is the absolute weirdest thing you've seen or encountered, electrical-wise, during your career?"
He told me it was a substation fault alarm one night in a sub near Blythe, Ca. He was the district troubleman that night. He jumps in the service truck and heads for the sub.
Upon arrival, in the dimness of the desert evening light he notices something amiss but barely visible inside the fencing. Like two large gunny sacks, looking dark against the dark ground inside the fence. What he found he described as two good sized piles of charcoal on the ground.
The article linked to in this thread contains the words "lucky to be alive". Not so for the two now charcoal-men, one of which we can surmise had cut into a live 67,000 volt cable
with the intent of stealing it. Poof. This created quite an arc flash incident in the final milliseconds of their lives. Enough heat energy to create steel from pig iron. Bad idea.
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Those arcs can last a lot longer than a half cycle, I've seen a few. The initial arc ionizes the air around it and provides an excellent path, air currents, a failure or breaker opening I guess are what usually usually terminate the arc. I have very, very limited first hand experience though and there is a world I don't know about the subject.
For them I assume the end probably came in less than a few ms, probably had no idea what even hit them..
I saw one at a substation years ago that lasted about 5 seconds, and there are countless videos of such events on YouTube that last 20 seconds or longer.
For them I assume the end probably came in less than a few ms, probably had no idea what even hit them..
I saw one at a substation years ago that lasted about 5 seconds, and there are countless videos of such events on YouTube that last 20 seconds or longer.
My neighbor's line runs 19,900V. A branch fell on it, popped the fuse at the street. (His max load is only 1.2 Amps @19.9KV, so small fuse.) When the utility worker replaced the fuse and swung it up toward the live terminal, he paused and "zzzzzz!" apparently drew an arc for many seconds. (Perhaps wondering if there were any more branches, or if the arc looked normal for a no-load line.)
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