On 11/26/2013 11:46 AM, wrote:
On Tuesday, November 26, 2013 11:04:53 AM UTC-5, bud-- wrote:
On 11/25/2013 11:07 PM, Danny D'Amico wrote:
On Mon, 25 Nov 2013 21:52:34 -0500, clare wrote:

Only in some rather rare circumstances is the "ground" actually used
in place of a current carrying conductor

This reference from Smith College, Northampton, MA:
http://www.science.smith.edu/~jcarde...ecPwr_HSW.html

Says:
"The power company essentially uses the earth as one of
the wires in the power system. The earth is a pretty good
conductor and it is huge, so it makes a good return path
for electrons."
It is fatally flawed, as described in another post.

That's from an EE class:
http://www.science.smith.edu/~jcardell/Courses/EGR220/
EGR 220, Spring 2013, Engineering Circuit Theory

It is not from an EE class.

It is something Smith College picked up from somewhere. As far is I know
it was not written by anyone ever associated with the college.

Taught by Judith Cardell, who researches this stuff:
http://www.science.smith.edu/~jcardell/

She should know, shouldn't she?

What should she know? She didn't write the piece at the top.

Why does everyone who understands power distribution disagree with you?

Bud-

The one and only place AFAIK that all of this is coming from is the website
"How stuff works". That link at the top produces the piece apparently
authored by Marshal Brain. As I understand it, he's the creator of
the "How stuff works" website. ALL the references Danny has are
either the exact verbage from there repeated, a link back to it,
or a copy thereof.

I didn't read Danny's other sources. I am really tired of his arguments.
Interesting they are all the same thing.

I did see that Brain started "How things work" (I have seen other
nonsense at that site).

Brain is presumably an EE. When I graduated there had been no reference
to the NEC, and no practical information about power systems, and in
particular earthing. Brain certainly shows no comprehension. krw, I
think, said most EE course work is electronics. There are at least 3
other EEs here. I haven't noticed any have particular information on
power distribution that they got in school.

You would hope that an assistant prof would
check the stuff, but who knows if she did, who actually posted it
as part of the course, etc. You also have to wonder about any college
that uses stuff from "How stuff works" for course material.

I have not figured out how "she" has anything to do with the "piece"
except "she" is a prof at the same college that put up the "piece".


But there is no question it's wrong.

But Danny found it on the internet....


Hey, didja hear that O J Simpson was framed by Romulans that beamed down
from a cloaked war-bird and tampered with the evidence in the crime lab.
If you don't believe it show me someone who says it isn't true.