Message from @Spanners

Discord ID: 609535596611764242


2019-08-09 23:38:19 UTC  

It's dangerous to *you* because the lineman will come and kick your ass after he changes his pants.

2019-08-09 23:40:02 UTC  

wouldn't he die?

2019-08-09 23:41:41 UTC  

I mean isn't there several thousand volts and amps running though electrical lines?

2019-08-09 23:42:49 UTC  

Not from your generator

2019-08-09 23:43:43 UTC  

Normally when a lineman is working, the power is either cut or he is thoroughly isolated. I'm talking about when he's working on otherwise unpowered lines, but someone nearby decides to hook up a gas generator

2019-08-09 23:44:03 UTC  

(which can still generate lethal electricity)

2019-08-09 23:45:48 UTC  

got it

2019-08-09 23:46:04 UTC  

I've heard that it's not voltage that kills, it's amps, is that true?

2019-08-09 23:46:09 UTC  

eh

2019-08-09 23:46:13 UTC  

it's both

2019-08-09 23:46:54 UTC  

lethality has to do with how much power can be delivered into your body (usually your heart)

2019-08-09 23:50:23 UTC  

the old saying "current kills" is a bit misleading, but a good one to remember

2019-08-09 23:51:44 UTC  

I heard it explained (and I'm not super savvy in electricity) that Voltage is like how much water is going through the pipe at a given time and Amps is water pressure of the pipe. So low V and high A is like a high powered water jet and high V and low A is like the ALS ice bucket challenge

2019-08-09 23:52:15 UTC  

Other way around

2019-08-09 23:52:22 UTC  

derp

2019-08-09 23:52:31 UTC  

Current is a measure of the flow of electric charges

2019-08-09 23:53:20 UTC  

i did take physics in college but switched majors and didn't need to take anymore science or math

2019-08-09 23:54:20 UTC  

I hated my physics courses. My professors were more interested in trying to pitch their research than teach the course

2019-08-09 23:54:57 UTC  

you mean they weren't taught my TA's?

2019-08-09 23:55:36 UTC  

It's split up into lectures by profs, and discussion sections led by TA's

2019-08-09 23:56:50 UTC  

It's supposed to work by having profs lecture generally on material (usually such lectures in my school are 1 or 2 hundred students) and then smaller discussion sections actually have you do practice problems

2019-08-09 23:57:59 UTC  

In reality, I had a professor spend the first hour of a 2 hour lecture talking about her research with lasers or some shit. This was a course mostly focusing on thermodynamics. Set the tone for the whole semester

2019-08-10 00:07:18 UTC  

@Spanners
> Powering a whole house with a generator (or Tesla) while the power is out is dangerous. If there is a lineman working nearby, the energy can run through the lines coming from the house and still deliver a shock.
That's why automatic grid isolators are a thing. It is evidenced by the fact that the neighbouring houses are dark. If they weren't isolated, they'd either get lit up, or the powerwall/generator would get overloaded and no one gets lit up - except the lineman

2019-08-10 00:12:39 UTC  

@Agent Smith I see what you're talking about - they speak about installing the switch that isolates your house from city power while you're on the generator. I'm sure other such devices exist and are being implemented into infrastructure. I was more talking about the scenario when a dingus who doesn't know about such safety measure decides to try and do something that results in the dangerous backfeed

2019-08-10 00:13:58 UTC  

My knowledge could also be out of date on the matter

2019-08-10 00:14:49 UTC  

I think the one they show is a manual one, but I've seen isolators that will only allow a house to be fed by one source, using electromagnets

2019-08-10 00:15:49 UTC  

Interesting. Do you have any idea how widespread they are? I doubt these come standard

2019-08-10 00:15:52 UTC  

plug the genny in and electromagnets disconnect the grid kind of thing

2019-08-10 00:16:47 UTC  

haven't heard of it in Australia, but I've seen them in US and UK videos

2019-08-10 00:17:29 UTC  

Does seem like the sort of thing to have if you plan on powering the house in a storm.

2019-08-10 00:18:27 UTC  

Most I've been a part of on that front is plugging the coffee maker into the genny while the power was out

2019-08-10 00:20:25 UTC  

I'm pretty sure these powerwalls have isolation built in

2019-08-10 00:21:44 UTC  

they probably also have phase sync like UPS's and grid-tie inverters do

2019-08-10 00:22:21 UTC  

Oh jeez, I hadn't even considered phase sync

2019-08-10 00:22:29 UTC  

That would also be an issue

2019-08-10 00:25:30 UTC  

Out of curiosity, what's coming out of your wall in Australia? I know Europe and U.S. are very different.

2019-08-10 00:25:44 UTC  

240v

2019-08-10 00:26:05 UTC  

my UPS says 231v