Grounding of an Overhead Line Conductor During Work Within the Vicinity of High Voltage

Abstract

This paper describes ensuring safe working conditions for workers performing electrical installation work and maintenance on overhead lines within the vicinity of high voltage. Due to harsh operating conditions and the necessity of ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply, it is sometimes necessary to replace a conductor on a double-circuit overhead line with one circuit for normal operations. In such cases, there is a high-risk of conductor swing that may cause contact with the phase conductor of the adjacent energized circuit. The presented special “sliding grounding clamp” has been designed and constructed in order to carry the fault current to ground. It enables a good flow of the current from the drawn conductor and, thus, protects the workers from excessive “step and touch” voltage on the worksite. The sliding grounding clamp has been constructed, and tested in practice. It has also been granted a Slovenian national patent.