Electrical Conduction and Flashover Characteristics of Large Irrigation Sprinkler Water Streams Contacting High-Voltage Transmission Lines

This paper presents the results of an investigation into the electrical conduction characteristics of high-volume irrigation sprinkler water streams which may come in contact with high-voltage transmission lines. The measure of electric current conducted through the water stream is established as a function of distance from nozzle-to-conductor for two types of sprinkler systems. conductor-to-tower and conductor-to-conductor flashover data for various practical airgaps as a function of nozzle stream size and nozzle- to-conductor distance are presented.