Eddy Current
Senior Member
What does it mean to have an infinite ground?
What is infinite ground?
- Thread starter Eddy Current
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It is referring to a Ground Plane like a sheet of copper or steel plate where resistance/impedance between any two points is ZERO in theory. In practice there is some resistance but extremely low. Next time you go by a high voltage sub-station look closely at where the equipment is located for a Switch Man to operate. Bet you see a Steel Platform for them to stand on. It is there in the event a phase faults to earth and eliminates Gradient Step Potential voltages. Without it you would likely be killed from the voltage between your two feet. Lightning kills the same way.
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In circuit theory it's a idealized "ground" which can source or sink and unlimited amount of current (charge) without changing potential.
Never heard the ground plane you described as infinite ground. There is also infinite ground plane regarding antenna radio wave propagation.
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- Placerville, CA, USA
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- Retired PV System Designer
In which case it is usually the dimensions that are considered infinite (compared to the wavelength) rather than the conductance.
On the SF peninsula there used to be a marine radio telegraphy transmitter (KFS for those who care) whose antennas were built in the salt marsh land of the border of the bay. Still not infinite, but close enough for practical purposes.
Eddy Current
Senior Member
Is this the same principle behind the mats that remove static charge?
No a static mat has quite a bit of resistance built into it to help prevent an operator from being shocked. Wrist straps have a 10 Meg Ohm resistor in line at the banana plug or alligator clip.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
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- Retired PV System Designer
And their goal is not to hold everything that you might touch at one potential but rather to bring you to that same potential (either static OR stray voltage) before you can make contact with the sensitive parts that are already in contact with the mat or bench top.
Tapatalk!
Tapatalk!
The real intent is to discharge the static charge slowly in a controlled manner so you do not get that POP discharge that makes you jump. A 10 M-ohm will bleed off a static charge in a second or less.
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