ECN Electrical Forum
Discussion Forums for Electricians, Inspectors and Related Professionals

Can a Static Line be used to Ground HV (4160 0r 13.8 Impedience grounded systems between buildings on poles??
I think your either required to have a Neutral or Grounding conductor.
Yoopersup

Ernie— I don't see anyone responding to your question and I think that possibly they don't understand the question or some of the terms you are using. I've been in the trade for 45+ years and I thought I understood quite a bit about code and I don't know what you are asking. Hope I'm not the only one. Maybe you could either elaborate or re-word the question or give us more details.

See Ya at the EAB meeting on the 3rd.

I was waiting for an explanation too. My guess is "static line" refers to the bare messenger and that is usually also the neutral but I could easily be wrong.

My experience looking at FPL is they use the grounded conductor on top for high voltage transmission lines and it is on the bottom for medium voltage distribution, below the 120/240.

I sent Yoop a PM the day he posted this asking for some additional info. My thoughts went toward some type of 'mining' equipment.

Static Line : Definition
A Grounded wire at the Very top of the Pole intended to protect lower conductors from lighting.
Impedience Grounding is grounding thur a Neutral Ground Resister.(Limits fault current to ground) see 250.186.
My Question : Static line can it be used as a grounding conductor as 250.4 (A) 5 requires.
I Know it can't be used as a Neutral.But as a Ground??
Its refered as a Static line on the prints.
This apply to a 13.8 & a 4.16 over head & underground Customer owned Feeder.

Yoop:

Some quick research brought this up...

250.184 Solidly Grounded Neutral Systems.
Solidly grounded neutral systems shall be permitted to be either single point grounded or multigrounded neutral.
""For systems over 1000 volts, the Code permits solidly grounded neutral systems that are either single-point grounded or multigrounded systems. For the 2005 Code, 250.184 was reorganized, and new requirements for the installation of single-point grounded systems were added. Circuits supplied from a single-point grounded system are required to have an equipment grounding conductor run with the circuit conductors, and this conductor is not to be used as a conductor for continuous line-to-neutral load.""

Text within the double quotes ("") is commentary from 2008 NEC Handbook.

This is an Impedance grounded system not solidly grounded.
Yoopersup

I wouldn't dream of tapping into any conductor that is designed to ATTRACT lightning.

Sure, it'd work okay most of the time...

Then, blammo, lightning races across your grounding grid at the speed of light.

Speed of light?

The only reason I question that logic is FPL puts the ungrounded conductor on the top of the pole in MV distribution. (and this is Florida where we have a lot of lightning)