What to Do After Finding Hot Connectors on Overhead Power Lines (2017) [video]

Re:What to Do After Finding Hot Connectors on Overhead Power... by kragen on Tuesday August 21, 2018 @01:06PM (#17811489)

I couldn't help but burst out laughing when the voiceover dude explained, "The pilot and the lineman are both doing an outstanding job despite very high wind conditions." Who on earth decides that very high wind conditions are a good time to hover your helicopter connected to a 230,000-volt power line? Couldn't they postpone the job for a day or two until the winds die down?

The arc when the helicopter finally disconnects from the power line is pretty astounding. To the lineman, it's all in a day's work, I guess.

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Re:What to Do After Finding Hot Connectors on Overhead Power... by Declanomous on Tuesday August 21, 2018 @02:13PM (#17812217)

It kind of looks like they are in a plains state somewhere. Having lived in the midwest nearly all my life, I can say with confidence that you are going to spend a lot of time waiting if you are waiting for a calm day.

They probably just make sure the wind isn't gusting too much.

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Re:What to Do After Finding Hot Connectors on Overhead Power... by qdcarnicelli on Tuesday August 21, 2018 @04:06PM (#17813236)

It's actually eastern Pennsylvania, the helicopter has a Pennsylvania Power and Light (PPL) logo on it. If you look carefully in the background you can see the Delaware Water Gap in the mountains.

Nevertheless, it's the same for the weather, Fall/Winter is gonna be windy enough you can't wait around for it.

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Re:What to Do After Finding Hot Connectors on Overhead Power... by neuralRiot on Tuesday August 21, 2018 @03:34PM (#17812945)

Also probably the calm winds come when it's 5°F outside.

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Re:What to Do After Finding Hot Connectors on Overhead Power... by markbnj on Tuesday August 21, 2018 @02:09PM (#17812184)

Possibly not? The high resistance splices are producing heat and at some point I believe they fail, which could affect the whole grid.

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Re:What to Do After Finding Hot Connectors on Overhead Power... by londons_explore on Thursday August 23, 2018 @03:15AM (#17825219)

When they get to 220C they are going to fail pretty quick.

At those kinds of temperatures, oxidation is much faster, and you'll get heating and cooling stresses causing micro fractures as the load on the line goes up and down.

As the resistance increases even a little, the temperature will increase more, making the above effects even worse.

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Re:What to Do After Finding Hot Connectors on Overhead Power... by mchahn on Tuesday August 21, 2018 @10:40PM (#17815839)

> hover your helicopter connected to a 230,000-volt power line?

Not an issue when any electrical ground is at a far distance.

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Re:What to Do After Finding Hot Connectors on Overhead Power... by wglb on Tuesday August 21, 2018 @08:15PM (#17815042)

As another commenter noted the plain states are likely to have wind most all the time.

Also there will be more wind at 200 feet than at ground level

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Re:What to Do After Finding Hot Connectors on Overhead Power... by anyfoo on Tuesday August 21, 2018 @06:34PM (#17814462)

Two things: "very high wind conditions" is a rather relative term (and could e.g. mean "very high within the parameters that are still considered safe"), and we also don't know about the urgency of that job.

All in all, I wouldn't extrapolate too much from that little statement.

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Re:What to Do After Finding Hot Connectors on Overhead Power... by hw_penfold on Tuesday August 21, 2018 @06:47PM (#17814552)

I also wish they ended the video with three or four middle-aged actors and actresses, in household settings, visibly demonstrating how much they enjoy consuming electricity, before turning to the camera and saying, “Thanks, Clampstar!”

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