Electrical Injuries: Engineering, Medical and Legal Aspects

Robert E. Nabours, Ph.D., P.E., Raymond M. Fish, Ph.D., M.D., F.A.C.E.P., and Paul F. Hill, Esq.

000

693 pages

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Abstract:

The most complete summary of electrical injury issues for the electrical injury litigator and investigator

Electric currents and electromagnetic radiation, both ionizing and nonionizing, can produce harmful biological effects in humans; these effects are the subject of an ever growing number of lawsuits. This book provides an introduction to the biological effects of electric currents and EMFs and the state of engineering and medical knowledge as we approach the twenty-first century.

Part I explains what forensic electrical engineers do and how they can assist attorneys in handling electrical injury cases. It also covers electrical codes and standards, basic electrical systems, and reconstructing the electrical accident.

Part II covers the medical aspects of electrical injuries, including the consequences of electrical injury on the body, EKGs and pacemakers, accident reconstruction in electrical injury cases, common sources of electrical injury, and relevant medical literature. This section also explains how electrical impulses control and influence muscle cells throughout the body as well as the pumping of blood throughout the heart.

Part III is a survey of appellate decisions in cases involving electrical injuries. It gives the attorney, engineer and accident reconstructionist a valuable resource for investigating, evaluating and settling or litigating claims arising from Contents

Electrostatics

Introduction
The Low-Frequency Signal Definition
Charge
Forces Between Charges
Electric Field
The E Field for Charge Distributions
The Concept of Voltage
Voltage Gradient
Spherical Conductor with a Charge
Capacitance
The Displacement Field
Field Representations
Points of Difficulty
MKS System of Units
Charges on Spherical Shells
The Earth Plane
Typical Charge Distributions
Cylindrical Surfaces
Parallel Plate Capacitors
Electric Field Energy
Self- and Mutual Capacitance
Example of Mutual Capacitance
Importance of Electric Field Concepts
A Powerful Tool

Magnetics

Introduction
Lines of Force and Flux
The B Field
The H Field
Faraday's Law
The Magnetic Circuit
The Transformer
Hysteresis Magnetic Materials
Inductance
The Inductance of a Solenoid
Energy in the Magnetic Field
Magnetic Units
Leakage Inductance
The Audio Transformer
Magnetic Storms
Spacecraft Potentials
The E and H Fields Together
Fields and Components
The Inductance of Isolated Conductors

The Transport of Signals and Power

Introduction
The Transmission Line
Transmission Line Terminations
Transmission Line Fields
Ground Planes
Coaxial Transmission Lines
Sine Waves and Transmission Lines
Terminations
Poynting's Vector
Radiation
Radiation from a Dipole
Radiation from a Current Loop
Effective Radiating Power

Fields and Conductors

Introduction
Ohms per Square
Reflection
Skin Effect
Shielding Effectivity
Apertures
Independent and Dependent Apertures
Closing Apertures
Wave guides Beyond Cutoff
A Review of Fields Entering an Enclosure
The Coupling of Fields to Circuits
The Fields in a Room
Common Mode and Normal Mode

Electrostatic Shielding I

Introduction
The Circuit in a "Box"
External Grounding of One Conductor
The Game
The Transformer Connection
The Single Transformer Shield
The Three-Shield Solution
The Single-Ended Instrument
Single-Ended Signal Sources
Balanced Signal Sources
The Two-Ground Problem
The Fundamental Instrumentation Problem
The Differential Amplifier

Electrostatic Shielding II

Shielding Low-Frequency Signals
Shielding Single-Ended Signals
Shielding Balanced Sources
Floating Circuits
Shielding Grounded Unbalanced Circuits
Shielding Electronic Equipment
Shielding Instrumentation Amplifiers
The Driven Shield
The Analog Input Cable
Aluminum Foil Shielding
The Drain Wire
Low-Noise Cable
Reactive Coupling in Circuits
Guard Rings

Common-lmpedance Coupling

Introduction
Amplifier Common Impedance
Strain-Gage Excitation Supplies
Transformer Shielding for Excitation Supplies
Star Connections
Neutrals as Common Impedances
The Earth as a Common Impedance
The Forward Referencing Amplifier
Driven Power Stages (Isolated Output)

Circuit Designs

Introduction
Common-Mode Rejection Post modulation
The Common-Mode Attenuator
High-Input Impedance Circuits
Balanced Excitation Supplies
Charge Amplifiers
Charge Amplifiers and Calibration
Calibration Guarding
Filtering Analog Signals
The ac Amplifier
Suppression Circuits
Switching Regulators
Off-Line Switchers
Mounting Switching Transistors or FETs
Parallel Active Components
The Medical Problem
The Mad Cow Problem

Utility Power

Introduction
The Ground Plane
Single-Point Grounding of Ground Planes
Racks as a Ground Plane
Extensions of a Ground Plane
The Earth as a Ground Plane
Isolated Grounds
Separately Derived Power
Power Isolation Transformers
Computer Power Centers
Power-Line Filters
Facility Power Filters
Transient Power Loads
Controllers
Transient Protection
Ungrounded Power
The NEC and Power Connections
Bending Magnetic Fields

High-Frequency Design

Introduction
The PC Board
PC Ground Planes
PC Board Transmission Lines
PC Boards and Radiation
PC Boards Decoupling Capacitors
PC Boards-Ground Planes and Power Plane'
PC Boards Ribbon Cable
High-Frequency Transport and Open Cable
High-Frequency Transport Over Coax
Cable Transfer Impedance
Cable Shield Terminations
The Chattering Relay Test
The Bond
The Transport of High-Frequency Power
Mixing Analog and Digital Signals
The Sniffer
Screen Rooms
Screen Room Power Filters
Grounding the Screen Room
The Screen Room Design
Using a Screen Room

Pulses and Step Functions

Introduction
Spectrum of a Square Wave
Spectrum of a Single Event
A Valuable Calculating Tool
The ESD (Electrostatic Discharge)
ESD Protection
ESD and Its Characteristics
ESD Testing