What are the coils on power poles?

What are those odd looking things you always see attached to power lines? Turns out, they’re called lightning arresters and they’re crucial to preventing certain blackouts.

What is the purpose of an electrical coil?

coil, in an electric circuit, one or more turns, usually roughly circular or cylindrical, of current-carrying wire designed to produce a magnetic field or to provide electrical resistance or inductance; in the latter case, a coil is also called a choke coil (see also inductance).

What are those wires on the poles?

A ground wire, running the length of the pole, helps to protect equipment, line workers and the public by providing a conducting path safely to the ground. The secondary wire (or service drop) carries lower voltage electricity from the transformer to individual electric meters.

What are those things on top of power poles?

Primary wires are on top of the pole and usually carry 12,000 volts of electricity from a substation. Insulators prevent energized wires from coming in contact with each other or the utility pole. Cutouts act like a fuse and open when there is a problem with the line or a section of it.

How does electricity get to your house?

The electrical charge goes through high-voltage transmission lines that stretch across the country. It reaches a substation, where the voltage is lowered so it can be sent on smaller power lines. The electricity travels through wires inside the walls to the outlets and switches all over your house.

What are the three wires from pole to house?

The service drop leads from the utility pole lines to a home. It is made up of three conductor wires. Two of them are insulated wires that carry electricity from the transformer; the third is a bare neutral wire that connects to the grounding wire. These lines have a voltage of 120 to 240 volts.

How do coils work?

The basic principle of an ignition coil To produce the required high voltages, ignition coils make use of the relationships that exist between electricity and magnetism. When an electric current flows through an electrical conductor such as a coil of wire, it creates a magnetic field around the coil (Figure 2).

How does a coil generate electricity?

Moving a magnet around a coil of wire, or moving a coil of wire around a magnet, pushes the electrons in the wire and creates an electrical current. Electricity generators essentially convert kinetic energy (the energy of motion) into electrical energy.

What is the black wrap on electric poles?

Power poles are coated with a layer of material similar to tar, or asphalt, and this is to protect the concrete from chemical compunds found in the ground. This is even more important if poles are made of steel – to protect them from rusting.

Why do birds not get electrocuted on power lines?

Birds can sit on power lines and not get electric shocks because the electricity is always looking for a way to get to the ground. The birds are not touching the ground or anything in contact with the ground, so the electricity will stay in the power line.