• DocumentCode
    2254372
  • Title

    The hazardous multigrounded neutral distribution system and dangerous stray currents

  • Author

    Zipse, Donald W.

  • Author_Institution
    Zipse Electr. Eng. Inc., Wilmington, DE, USA
  • fYear
    2003
  • fDate
    15-17 Sept. 2003
  • Firstpage
    23
  • Lastpage
    45
  • Abstract
    The multigrounded neutral system is the predominant electrical distribution system used in the United States. It permits an uncontrolled amount of electric current to flow over the earth unrestrained, posing the potential of harm to the public and to animals causing electric shocks and is presumed responsible for undetected electrocutions. To compound the problem of uncontrolled current over the earth, utility practices places harmful current from lightning strokes directly into customers homes. As today\´s electrical loads continue to escalate, more current is forced into and over the earth. The question electrical engineers and the public must answer is what is the acceptable safe level, if any, of the passage of uncontrolled flow of electrical current over the earth and into our homes, office buildings and industrial facilities. The decisions to "save money" by the adoption of the multigrounded neutral electrical distribution system outweighed the public\´s safety are disclosed in this paper and the electrical distributions systems that are safe are presented. The history of the development of the multigrounded neutral distribution system is covered. Examples of the dangers associated with the multigrounded neutral distribution system and the ungrounded distribution system are disclosed. The methods of converting these dangerous and hazardous distribution systems into safer systems are presented.
  • Keywords
    earthing; electric shocks; power distribution protection; safety; National Electrical Code; United States; continuous flow stray current; dangerous stray currents; electric shocks; electrical loads; harmful current; hazardous multigrounded neutral distribution system; homes; industrial facilities; legislation; lightning strokes; neutral conductor; office buildings; uncontrolled current; undetected electrocutions; ungrounded distribution system; Animals; Circuit faults; Conductors; Drives; Earth; Electric shock; Fault currents; Grounding; Industrial plants; Lightning;
  • fLanguage
    English
  • Publisher
    ieee
  • Conference_Titel
    Petroleum and Chemical Industry Conference, 2003. Record of Conference Papers. IEEE Industry Applications Society 50th Annual
  • ISSN
    0090-3507
  • Print_ISBN
    0-7803-7956-X
  • Type

    conf

  • DOI
    10.1109/PCICON.2003.1242596
  • Filename
    1242596