Let's see the end of the wire that the bird is sitting on is connected to one side of the primary coil and the other side the coil is either connected to another high voltage second phase or to the ground. ( current has to be there to charge the primary coil of the transformer).
If you cut that high voltage wire and connect a load on it, if it doesn't fry it, (very high voltage low current), what would happen? And would you measure a potential difference across that load?

Nothing will happen. There is no path through the bird on a wire. I have three phase 7200 volt lines on my residential street, another set much, much higher but here nor there. Birds sit on the lines all the time. The 7200 volt phases alternately drive transformers to feed the residences. Each transformer presents a "load" and each transformer has a 7200 volt primary. With or without loads the bird on a wire will be just fine as there is no path for current to flow through any of the birds. The video I linked to using a helicopter for high voltage line maintenance makes all of that pretty clear. The bird on a wire will do just fine whether that wire has a load on it or not.
My suggestion, based on the very first post, would be a career in another engineering discipline. While a good number of years have passed my recollection of AC theory came in around the second semester which is where most students who were going to change majors did so. Mechanical engineering and structural engineering are nice and there is always architecture.

Ron

 

My suggestion, based on the very first post, would be a career in another engineering discipline. While a good number of years have passed my recollection of AC theory came in around the second semester which is where most students who were going to change majors did so. Mechanical engineering and structural engineering are nice and there is always architecture.

Ron

Member Audioguru could eventually suggest a different activity; he did many times in the past, even to me.

https://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/search/7745123/?q=gardening&o=relevance&c[user][0]=16321

Good oportunity to wish you all the regulars: have fun and enjoy this everlasting thread. Over and out.

 

have fun and enjoy this everlasting thread

Not me... the fun of this thread has grown thin for me too... I'm out of here so I can spend my time doing more productive things... have a good one everyone

 

Not me... the fun of this thread has grown thin for me too... I'm out of here so I can spend my time doing more productive things... have a good one everyone

Sure, something like firing up the grill!

Ron

 

@Alchemy One
Don't know where you found the drawing but the red arrows in the bottom one are

 

If a current is moving anywhere in the system, ground, hot or whatever the labeling is there is a potential difference there or current won't be moving.

Yes, there is a potential difference between the live wire that the bird is sitting on and the earth, or the neutral wire. But the bird is not touching those!

There also a potential difference along the wire, or, as you said, no current would be flowing. But this would be nanovolts over the width of a bird foot, enough to keep electrons moving through the wire but not enough to push enough electrons through the bird foot to shock the bird.

Let me ask you a question. When the bleeding bird gets fried, where do the electrons that flowed through her go?

Bob

 

Let me ask you a question. When the bleeding bird gets fried, where do the electrons that flowed through her go?

Bob

How do we know the bird is a her? Can the bird be a him?

Last year we had several squirrels get fried on one transformer on my street. Never understood why only that transformer but for 5 weeks one a week got across the primary (7200 volts) and ground. They didn't really fry but literally exploded would better sum up their fate. At least it was quick. Also when the fuse blows there is a bang about like a 12 gauge shotgun as the switch gear makes a very definite disconnect. Then eventually First Energy (Power Company) comes around, replaces the fuse and resets the disconnect. The squirrels were fine right till they gave the primary transformer voltage a path to ground. The squirrels could be at a 7200 volt potential just fine or at ground potential just fine just not so fine when across both at the same time.

Ron

 

Sounds like a stick of dynamite going off when a squirrel self-vaporizes. They make a "squirrel guard" for the primary just for that reason.

 

Sounds like a stick of dynamite going off when a squirrel self-vaporizes. They make a "squirrel guard" for the primary just for that reason.

Yeah, one heck of a bang! Now that you mention it I haven't seen any guards like you mention on the transformer cans around me.

Ron

 

After about the third time they put one on my xfmr since it was getting repeat blown fuses. Hasn't gone off since.

 

Now, what happened to my ALTERNATING current? My problem with earth/dirt being used as a current-carrying conductor is a subject all by itself, ( the earth is sure no copper wire with free electrons. I don't want to talk about this. I guarantee it will change the subject). I want to see electrons jiggling back and forth to the load on the two wires equally as we are told what AC is.

For starters, hot and ground have nothing to do with current flow. They are designations for the opposite sides of the voltage that is generated. Ground refers to where the one wire is tied, not where the current flows through. Hot references the wire that is not connected to ground.

Please refrain from attacking things just because you do not understand them. Connecting one side of a distribution system to ground, not THROUGH ground, keeps the voltages from each wire far more predictable, and that tends towards a safer situation.

 

Sounds like a stick of dynamite going off when a squirrel self-vaporizes. They make a "squirrel guard" for the primary just for that reason.

You mean them squirrels go inside or you mean they get fried on the outside?
I would think there is no way they can go inside as the top appears shut tight.

 

Still say this guy is one of Gerry's kids. Or maybe Gerry has two forum memberships. Can't be a coincidence that two people can be this dense about the same type of thing.

 

@shortbus The old WC Fields quote comes to mind "Go away kid, you bother me."

 

You mean them squirrels go inside or you mean they get fried on the outside?
I would think there is no way they can go inside as the top appears shut tight.

Yup, Them durn squirrels develop serrated teeth in order to make the hole, then get boiled in oil that it is filled with!
Max.

 

https://cybersquirrel1.com/

All agents in the @PGE4Me service area have been given the day off. #cyberwar4ever is hard work! It’s important to take care of our operatives and give the time with thier families that they deserve. Normal #cyberwar4ever operations will resume shortly.

https://twitter.com/PGE4Me

 

While this is totally off topic it is worth a share. My neighbor called last weekend, across the street. Said her power was "flickering" so I went over and the flickering had apparently stopped. It was weird because her husband and I had just last year replaced the entire service with all new 200 amp service. What she described as "flickering" made no sense because what she said flickered affected several branch circuits. Everything looked and metered fine including the service entry.

Yesterday it did it again but this time a bunch of stuff was out. They flickered and then went dark but other stuff worked fine. No 240 at mains entry but Neutral / Ground to one side did have 123 V the other side nothing. Went outside and the weather head mast looked fine as did the line to the pole. I told her to call our provider First Energy.

Here is the transformer which feeds my house.


Power company shows up and it wasn't just the neighbors across the street, it was half the block. One of the 120 VAC lines off the transformer had major corrosion and simply gave up. Last week was an indicator of things to come and they did come. There are 8 residences on that transformer including the neighbor next door to my west. Myself and the few residences east of me are on another transformer driven by a different phase of the 7.2 KV feeders.

Their transformer is the same as mine which is pictured above and theirs is the one which fried a squirrel a week for 5 weeks a year or so back, maybe two.

I have never seen that happen but I knew the problem extended beyond the customer responsibility. Nobody else noticed as most were at work I guess. It was sort of strange and out of the ordinary.

Ron

 

Wouldn't that be a DELTA fed transformer with two insulators? generally the WYE with star (grounded) neutral has one HV insulator.
There is both out there.
Max.

 

While this is totally off topic it is worth a share. My neighbor called last weekend, across the street. Said her power was "flickering" so I went over and the flickering had apparently stopped. It was weird because her husband and I had just last year replaced the entire service with all new 200 amp service. What she described as "flickering" made no sense because what she said flickered affected several branch circuits. Everything looked and metered fine including the service entry.

 

Wouldn't that be a DELTA fed transformer with two insulators? generally the WYE with star (grounded) neutral has one HV insulator.
There is both out there.
Max.

Max, I actually thought the same. So with zooming I looked real close and nope, it is fed by a single phase to ground. The terminal on the left runs to a disconnect not seen and the terminal on the right, with that giant insulator goes to ground. Here is another shot.



Ron