Modelling of microshocks associated with high-voltage equipment

Bodies close to high-voltage equipment may experience discharges to metallic objects at ground potential if they are not grounded themselves. A tool which is able to predict the occurrence of such events would provide considerable benefit to transmission network operators. In this study, models of microshocks are developed. Laboratory measurements coupling a high-voltage overhead line to a simple model of a human body are compared to the predictions of a commercially available software package. The software, called current distribution, electromagnetic fields, grounding, and soil structure analysis, is widely used in the power industry. The experimental measurement of the potential of the floating body is complex because of the high field in which it sits, and this is also discussed. The software is found to represent the measured data in the simple cases examined to within 10%, and is found to be satisfactory as a platform for further development. © 2008 IEEE.