Fee electricity - a new headache for the gas industry
Stray current from underground primary electric cables and electric grounds can occasionally cause unusually high voltages at certain points along gas-distribution systems. Because of the parallel paths and many sources of stray neutral currents, the circuitry and voltage drops are complex. Washington Power's experience shows that (1) bare gas pipe systems remain relatively free of neutral currents because they are grounded along their entire length, (2) plastic and coated-steel pipe systems pick up stray neutral currents through holidays, bare valves, etc., and develop hazardous voltages because the steel pipe or the tracer wire of the plastic pipe is insulated from the soil, (3) pipeline voltages occur in areas having very high soil resistivities because of the poor return circuit for neutral currents back to the electric substation, and (4) the pipelines most distant from the substation experience the highest voltages because those areas contain the greatest imbalance of primary currents.
- Research Organization:
- Washington Water Power Co., Spokane
- OSTI ID:
- 5917648
- Journal Information:
- Am. Gas Assoc., Oper. Sect., Proc.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. Gas Assoc., Oper. Sect., Proc.; (United States)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
NATURAL GAS
TRANSPORT
NATURAL GAS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRIC CABLES
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
SOILS
CABLES
CONDUCTOR DEVICES
CURRENTS
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EQUIPMENT
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
032000* - Natural Gas- Transport
Handling
& Storage