I wonder if the Congo power grid distribution isn't SWER - Single Wire
Earth Return, which was very common in the US early electrification of
rural areas.
Fatalities did occur when the HV (8Kv and up) local ground was poor and
the earth voltage gradients could be large.
I would disagree with Wikipedia that a single ground rod could be "5 to
10" ohms, when what I have measured is more like 25 to 35 ohms. The
tower grounding literature agrees.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-wire_earth_return
Static electrocution likely is legend, SWER is not.
Grant KZ1W
On 1/9/2022 12:28, David Gilbert wrote:
That sounds like an urban legend. A Google search for "Congo fatal
static charge" comes up with not a single reference. The physics of the
idea doesn't make sense to me either.
73,
Dave AB7E
On 1/9/2022 12:44 PM, lstoskopf@cox.net wrote:
We've seen talks of measuring soil conductivity on this and the LF
lists. There is a guy in my church who does a lot of mission work in
Africa and runs a small ag mfg business. Also a company building soil
measurements for basically ag use: Veris Technology. A quick chat
today:
Supposedly in some parts of the Congo have highly non-conductive
soils, hot dry weather, etc. Can build up major charges at times that
people walking across the rocks occasionally get fatal discharges.
Pretty hostile places.
N0UU
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