07-26-2017, 09:47 PM
(07-26-2017, 05:59 PM)Canard Wrote: Power returns through the tracks in the ground, Kevin!
The tracks must be at a low or zero voltage relative to ground. It’s perfectly safe, electrically, to touch tracks, right? So they are, essentially, at electrical ground. Adding a bunch of water won’t change that.
As to the voltage of the overhead, it could be positive or negative (and of any sufficient magnitude for the possible current flow). I would expect that in any particular system it would always be the same, but it would definitely be possible to run motors off either positive or negative.
This does not by itself imply that an LRV can operate safely through a deep puddle — if there are high-voltage parts in the motor that could be flooded by water, you could have a problem — but the basic issue of “it’s powered by electricity”, in and of itself, is a non-issue.
Note: any electrical engineers please correct me — I took first year but don’t work in the field.