You could easily mistake this gadget for a mobile handset or a swanky wristwatch. For people dabbling with high-voltage electric lines, it’s a lifesaver.
Developed by a KSEB Assistant Engineer at the Sabarigiri Hydro-electric Project, the handy gadget can ‘sense’ from a distance whether a high-voltage line is live or not. Lal K C, who joined the KSEB last May, has christened his device a ‘No Contact Tester.’
‘’At present, no method exists to know whether a 110 KV line is live or not. On an ordinary 230 Volt line, linemen use a tester to check. On a higher voltage line, you can’t do that,’’ says Lal, who lives at Kamaleswaram, Thiruvananthapuram. ‘’So they use a tapping motion with the back of the hand. They say they can feel the current before the hand makes contact. But it’s dangerous.’’
That’s where Lal’s device comes in. Lal has developed two prototypes. The first one is hand-held, like a mobile handset. It, in fact, fits inside the outer case of an old Nokia handset. The second prototype is set inside a tiny clock case and can be strapped on to the wrist.
The prototype has an antenna which picks up electrical fields surrounding live high-voltage lines and amplifies it. If there is indeed a signal, a buzzer goes off and LEDs light up. If there are multiple feeders, there’s another facility to ascertain which feeder is the live one. ‘’On a 11 KV line, you can test from a distance of one-and-a-half metres,’’ says Lal. Higher voltage lines like 110 KV and 220 KV can be tested from a distance of five metres.
He has not yet calculated how much it would cost to commercially roll out his gadget, but developing the prototype cost him around Rs 500 and three months.
Lal studied engineering at the Regional Engineering College (REC - now National Institute of Technology (NIT)). He was employed with a private firm before joining the state-run KSEB. Lal is married to Sindhu. The couple has a son, Pawan.
tikirajwi@expressbuzz.com