Earth conduction

[FrankM]

While searching for info on electrical charge distribution at the earth's surface, I identified an application that uses the earth as a near perfect conductor.

 

http//tdworld.com/ar/power_one_wire_enough/

http://www.stonepower.se/Images/SWER.pdf

 

It is a working application that can't be disputed, but I cannot find a geophysics source that identifies the theory for the near perfect conduction. The pdf article notes that the engineers used 0.05 ohms/km at 50 Hz for the design model. All of my reference sources indicates that earth resistance is quite high. Am I missing something, as it seems the earth conduction is different from earth resistance?

 

Any sources for the earth conduction theory?

[YT2095]

at DC levels you`de be quite correct, Earth would make a poor conductor, but at Frequency it ceases to simple resistance, and more Impedance values at play, and so it`s resistance would indeed be very low at those frequencies

[FrankM]

I found additional references to single-wire earth return (SWER) applications.

 

http://www.du.edu/%7Ejcalvert/tel/morse/morse.htm

 

The early telegraphs were DC and they could function at a good distance on 6 vdc. The various articles state that the primary losses in the early telegraphs were in the wire and poor insulators.

 

Need to add a colon to my previous post URL.

http://tdworld.com/ar/power_one_wire_enough/

 

I need geophysic references concerning the earth's near perfect conductivity.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

So if you are walking outside in a place where they do that, and you happen to touch an insulated object (building of some type) then you would be electrocuted? The voltage difference means yes. I don't like that idea.

[YT2095]

that has actualy happened on some farms!

here in UK, remote ares are fedd with a one wire only, the live one, the neutral connection and Earth (same pottential) rely upon a sunk copper rob or plate (several feet down).

during certain conditions of drought and then sudden rain it`s perfectly possible to get electrocuted, it happened in a barn once and killed several horses

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

I don't like that idea!

[YT2095]

sad but true though

statisticaly those occurances were a "One of" when compared to the successfull implementation of this method over the decades it`s been in use

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

I wonder if it induces lightning?

[YT2095]

no, as even the power from our generators is considered as Earth (positive pole) of the equasion when compared to atmospheric potential.

the Pylons or tall buildings would be targets, but it won`t "Induce" lightening

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Ah.

[FrankM]

Atmospheric physicists have added another parameter that needs to be understood in relationship to earth conductivity.

 

Atmospheric physicists state that the earth surface has a negative charge relative to the ionosphere, which implies there is a concentration of free electrons in the near crustal surface that counteracts the ionospheric positive charge. Just how much do these extra free electrons contribute to earth conductivity in the upper crustal area? It is stated that the magnitude of the surface charge can vary significantly depending upon atmospheric electrical conditions, thus it appears measurable changes could occur in earth conductivity as the charge levels change. Any known studies in this area?

[FrankM]

Found an article that provides some interesting information. I stated in the previous post "it appears measurable changes could occur in earth conductivity as the charge levels change".

 

The following report suggests that the "conductivity" in the induced charge area is substantially different from areas removed from the influence of the induced charge.

 

http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_lhm/Radials.pdf

 

"The primary destination of the strike is the induced charge on the ground surrounding the strike point."

 

There was no mention of any attempt to measure the "relative" conductivity in the induced charge area.

 

Just how much is "earth surface conductivity" influenced by the presence or lack of "free electrons" induced by the ionospheric charge and changing overhead atmospheric electrical events? The induced charge can be either positive or negative depending upon the "overhead" charge. The induced charge will be of equal magnitude and the opposite polarity of the overhead charge.

[coquina]

Poke around the USGS Geophysical Products site:

 

http://crustal.usgs.gov/geophysics/

[deltanova]

Apparently nikola tesla managed to broardcast electricity 26 miles, lighting a number of lightbulbs and a generator

[RICHARDBATTY]

People have used the ground as an antena to broadcast and recieve radio.

[SCOOTER93]

Atmospheric physicists have added another parameter that needs to be understood in relationship to earth conductivity.

 

Atmospheric physicists state that the earth surface has a negative charge relative to the ionosphere' date=' which implies there is a concentration of free electrons in the near crustal surface that counteracts the ionospheric positive charge. Just how much do these extra free electrons contribute to earth conductivity in the upper crustal area? It is stated that the magnitude of the surface charge can vary significantly depending upon atmospheric electrical conditions, thus it appears measurable changes could occur in earth conductivity as the charge levels change. Any known studies in this area?[/quote']

 

 

If the earth has an electrical charge, negative you say in this case, then earth rotation will produce a circular current around the earth, and produce a magnetic field.

 

Is this current the source of the earths magnetic field? Is it in the proper direction to cause the earth's magnetic field?

 

Let me see if I can dope this out.

 

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Since it is the earth that is moving, the earth is moving/rotating from west to east. Since we think of a "positive" current as the reverse flow of electrons, we have a "positive" current flowing to the west.

 

The current/mag. field relationship that I remember is the right hand rule. Put your hand around the conductor with the thumb pointing along the direction of current flow, and the fingers will point in the direction of the induced field.

 

This rule gives us a "positive" magnetic field coming out of the south pole.

 

I don't know how to carry this analysis any further to figure out if this is what we reall see to make a compass needle point north.