The Measurement of Electric Fields in Live Line Working

Abstract

Several devices are described that have been used recently in studying electric currents induced by 60-Hz electric fields in the bodies of linemen working on energized power lines using both the conventional hot stick method and the barehand method. These devices include: 1) the gradient meter, used to measure the intensity of electric fields impinging on different areas of the lineman's body, 2) the icosahedron, used to demonstrate that total body current is the summation of unit area charging currents resulting from the electric field impinging on unit areas over the entire body, and 3) the dipole, used to measure the magnitude of electric currents flowing in an isolated conducting body located in an electric field. Typical measurements obtained with each of these devices are included.