Inductive interference of power lines on buried irrigation pipelines

In this paper the inductive interference between power lines and parallel buried irrigation pipelines is investigated, using a hybrid method employing finite element formulation and circuit analysis. A specific configuration taken from the literature is examined during an unbalanced operating condition. This is a common case and may go unnoticed for days, which can result in shocks to persons touching pipeline risers. Also, a general case encountered frequently in the Greek distribution network is studied, producing graphs that may be useful to the engineer. It is found that a detailed knowledge of the overall configuration is needed in order to calculate the inductive coupling with minimum error. Otherwise, computed results are usually on the safe side. Moreover, it is realized that under certain circumstances the current flowing through a person touching a riser may be higher than the acceptable limits.