Field Of Fluorescent Tubes Powered By Ambient Current

[Dogmudgeon]

From the “Ain't It Cool!” Department:

A British artist placed 1,300 fluorescent tubes in a field directly below high voltage power lines. Although the tubes aren’t connected to anything but the earth, they are fully illuminated because of this phenomenon, “Powerlines are typically 400,000 volts, and Earth is at an electrical potential of zero volts, pylons create electric fields.”

The point wasn’t to expose the dangers of living near power lines, it was simply to create a neat lighting display. Nevertheless, it would be pretty awesome to “drive along the highway and glance into a field to see a giant array of fluorescent tubes lit wirelessly from the electromagnetic fields of power lines.”



Find it all at http://hacknmod.com/hack/field-of-fluorescent-tubes-powered-by-ambient-current/">Hack-N-Mod. You can also see photos of many more of the artist's works at his web page, http://www.richardbox.com/">Richard Box.

--d!

[KakistocracyHater]

1. what was that about lightning doesn't strike twice?

Tesla hits again.

[DCKit]

2. Hit it with HAARP's energy, and they could keep those fields productive 365/year n/t

[Nihil]

3. K & R for that picture alone (n/t)

:thumbsup:

[phantom power]

4. wicked

[OKIsItJustMe]

5. From a different view

[Gregorian]

6. It just shows the huge losses to ground in an AC system.

Somebody confirm or deny this. Am I right? I thought there were big capacitive losses to ground.

[jmondine]

7. I doubt it's capacitance as much as inductance

The constantly shifting current in the AC powerlines creates a continuously changing magnetic field which induces an electrical current in the tubes.
It does mean that it's possible the power lines are inadequately shielded.

[Gregorian]

8. That makes sense.

We used to do this as kids. I remember holding the tubes near something.

[TxRider]

9. I dont believe they are shielded at all

Any wire with electrical current passing through it creates a magnetic field though, basic stuff.

Any magnetic field that alternates will create a current in any wire exposed to it.