Re: You use a utility transformer?!

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: You use a utility transformer?!
From: Marcus Young <MEYoung-at-uq-dot-net.au> (by way of Terry Fritz <terryf-at-verinet-dot-com>)
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 11:55:28 -0600
Approved: terryf-at-verinet-dot-com

Hello People,

>Sorry, but this is back-to-front. A defibrillator is used to stop the heart
>from fibrillating, which is the condition caused by heart attacks. The
>chambers of the heart become desynchronised, and the defibrillator applies a
>"reset" pulse. If your heart has stopped, that is likely to be the end of
>you. When people say "his heart's stopped, call a doctor" they mean they
>can't find a pulse. The pulse is missing because the heart isn't beating,
>it's defibrillating.

Yes, but isnt it impossible to apply CPR while a heart is fibrilating, which 
means theres little you can do except wait for an ambulance? 
I would imagine a stopped heart is easier to apply CPR to.. 

>The defib. stored energy will typically start off at 200J or so, increasing
>in 50J steps. The open cct V is around 2kV which implies a storage cap of
>around 100uF. The peak current might reach 10A or so.

>Let us be quite clear on this: you might survive connecting yourself up to
>an NST etc. but a pole xfmr is likely to be your last contact. As someone
>else said, the burns you will receive will probably kill you if you survive
>the initial shock. Don't forget the secondary injuries you will probably
>receive (broken bones, lacerations and associated wound trauma) as you get
>flung away from the xfmr.

Yep, higher current shocks will certainly cause much more bruising, ligament
and muscle tear and perhaps broken bones. Ime not sure how bad the burns
would be though.
Certainly youde drag a nice streamer out as you were thrown away
but i dont think the actual burn from a pig would be so severe.
With all current level shocks the main killer as I understand it is
remaining in 
contact with the power source for a prolonged period and not getting thrown
away. 

Its quite true that a high ccurrent could burn you more. But Its also a known 
fact that high voltages in the lower current range starting at around 30mA
or so 
are more lethal than a high current for the fact that they can cause the heart
to go into fibrilation. Its not a condition exclusivley caused by heart
attack.
The severe muscle contractions from a high current shock can actually
protect the 
heart somehow. This is just what i was taught in an EE lecture once. Maybe
Ime 
wrong about a higher current usually stopping the heart or not (its a while
ago a was told all this). 
But its supposed to be easier to revive someone afterwards.
(Though, ime not talking about currents probably much worse than would be 
avalaiable in a house or small factory)
We should all remember that when were in the tens of thousands of volts you 
only need get close to a power source then it will come to you! 

Marcus

ps. I saw in a local newspaper a story about someone urinating on a 25kV
overhead
electric train line from a bridge. It was reported his crotch was more or
less turned 
to carbon..Though he did survive it..*ouch!*