JoeSixPack wrote:

"Pete C." wrote in message
...
JoeSixPack wrote:

"Spud" wrote in message
...

"Steve Kraus" wrote in message
nk.net...
Me wrote:

Your thinking is just plain wrong.....

No, I think I'm on solid ground when I say that a load measuring in
many
megaWatts, maybe hundreds of megaWatts depending on the area of the
power
outage that I am downstream of, is essentially the same as shorting
the
generator output to ground.

What about the downed power line your neighbors, and you.

http://www.google.com/
In the aftermath of a disaster there are circumstances that circumvent
conventional safety procedures. The utility companies rely heavily on
independent construction firms to quickly restore utility lines.
Private
contractor employees are sometimes less familiars with the territory
and
the
established utility company procedures. On top of everything else there
is
the stress caused by working long hours in inclement conditions and the
pressure to restore power to thousands of customers some of whom are in
dire
need.



A line crew was dispatched at night to restore power to a small
restaurant
in a mountainous area. The restaurant was served by a 3-phase,
12.47-kV,
tapline, three spans in length. "The crew found that tree limbs had
fallen
into a corner pole (one span from the restaurant) short-circuiting the
line
and blowing the fuses back at the tap pole. They also discovered that
the
restaurant was using a generator to maintain service."

The foreman confirmed that the main breaker at the restaurant was open,
isolating the utility service. The crew tested and grounded the line a
the
tap pole and began repairs. When one lineman climbed the corner pole to
remove limbs, he discovered that the jumpers and connectors were
damaged
and
decided to replace them. "When he removed the jumpers, he was
positioned
in
such a way that he was in contact with the under grounded portion of
the
line," continues Drew. For some reason, the restaurant owner was
checking
the generator and inadvertently closed the main breaker, backing power
through the transformer bank and energizing the line up to the open
jumpers.
The lineman received a severe shock and died.


8/29/2005
As the number of personal electric generators grows, so does the threat
of
injury to utility workers and generator operators.

If you connect a generator to your electrical panel without isolating
it,
it
's simply a disaster waiting to happen. A generator that's connected to
the
power system can result in power lines being energized to line voltage
of
7,200 volts or higher, whether they're on the ground or still in the
air.
If
your generator is not isolated from the Cullman EC distribution system,
the
transformer at your location acts in reverse and can actually step-up
the
normal household voltage of your generator to our system voltage. If
your
generator has energized power lines that are on the ground, the
energized
lines could prove to be a safety hazard to you, your family, and
especially
the linemen working to restore power.

As a matter of fact, a utility worker who was repairing damage from
Hurricane Dennis was killed this past July in south Alabama because of
an
improperly installed generator. It is up to you to ensure the safety


Alabama, July 14, 2005 - Sumter Electric Cooperative (SECO) officials
report
that a South Carolina lineman helping to restore power in Alabama after
the
damage caused by Hurricane Dennis was killed late Tuesday, reportedly
by
an
improperly installed customer generator.Alabama authorities are looking
for
the person responsible and indicate that charges are pending

all electric connections must comply with the National Electrical Code.
You may be liable for damage to property or injury to people that may
result
from an improperly installed or operation of an emergency generator.


When some minds are made up, no amount of evidence or reasoning can
convince
them their arguments are faulty.
I doubt if they will even respond to your excellent post.

The first story in his "excellent" post once again shows that the
ultimate cause of the lineman's death was his own carelessness in not
following proper procedures, not the generator. He was clearly not
wearing his HV gloves or other protective gear.

The second story contains no details so a determination of the ultimate
cause can't be made. I searched around and was unable to find a detailed
report on this incident. It is quite likely that the ultimate cause of
the death will be the lineman's own carelessness.

The established procedures for line work, if followed will keep the
lineman safe regardless of the electrical state of the lines. I'd be
quite interested if you have a detailed report of a fatality where all
procedures were followed.

Pete C.

So it's OK to backfeed?
Thanks.

No, but you won't kill a utility lineman as many have asserted.

Pete C.