This article was posted 08/13/2007 and is most likely outdated.

The Confusion Surrounding “Stray Voltage”
 

 

Topic - Grounding and Bonding
Subject - The Confusion Surrounding “Stray Voltage”

August 13, 2007
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The Confusion Surrounding “Stray Voltage”


 

ImageWhile “stray voltage” has been a concern for farm livestock for many years, it is only within the past few years that the term has been associated with human fatalities. The industry has seen an expansion of the term’s usage to describe events that some engineers feel is incorrect. This situation has resulted in costs to utilities exceeding many millions of dollars that has a questionable impact on customers increased safety.

 

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the confusion that now exists in the area of “stray voltage”. The paper will discuss the traditional definition of the term “stray voltage”, as well as the recent usage of the phrase to describe more dangerous conditions such as step-and-touch voltages, temporary overvoltages, contact voltages, etc. Finally, the paper will address the status of the industries response to this issue. It will discuss the measures taken by some utilities as well as the IEEE to establish some sort of industry guidelines to address these issues.

 

Click here to review this paper written by Jim Burke, InfraSource Inc., Fellow, IEEE

 

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Comments
  • Congratulations Jim, On a very informative article. To convey understanding words must have discrete meanings. In the investigation of marina electric shock accidents I have coined the term "Electric Shock Drowning" because nothing else seemed to fit. AC fault currents entering the water from a boat produce gradients in fresh water that cause "let-go" currents in a swimmer and cause him to drown, and no eveidence of this is found on post-mortem. I suppose you might call this "Step-and-Touch Voltage". The term "Stray Current", as used in a marina, refers to DC current (ions) flowing from one underwater metal to another, caused by a fault in the DC wiring, and which produces rapid and severe damage, as compaired to just typical galvanic currents. The term is used to differentiate the two. Would you be able to suggest another term? Thank you in advance for your comments. Regards, Jim kp2r@bellsouth.net

    Jim Shafer

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