The power distribution infrastructure in the United States is deteriorating at a rapid rate exposing infrastructure wiring and creating potential shock hazards. Periodic road and sidewalk maintenance projects can also expose wiring and create energized objects. In urban settings inadvertently energized objects include: lamp posts, bus shelters, metal street curbs, sign posts, transformer vaults, and manhole covers as well as concrete and asphalt pavement. Every year electric shocks occur when people and domestic animals (such as dogs and cats) make incidental contact with these energized objects. In very rare cases the shocks from these contacts are lethal. Through current personal research, a new handheld detector was developed. It uses the emissions of an energized object to pinpoint the location and further analyzes the emissions to determine the likely cause of the shock hazard. This thesis focuses on advancing detection technology and creating a more capable, production-ready unit.
","abstract_html":"<p>The power distribution infrastructure in the United States is deteriorating at a rapid rate exposing infrastructure wiring and creating potential shock hazards. Periodic road and sidewalk maintenance projects can also expose wiring and create energized objects. In urban settings inadvertently energized objects include: lamp posts, bus shelters, metal street curbs, sign posts, transformer vaults, and manhole covers as well as concrete and asphalt pavement. Every year electric shocks occur when people and domestic animals (such as dogs and cats) make incidental contact with these energized objects. In very rare cases the shocks from these contacts are lethal. Through current personal research, a new handheld detector was developed. It uses the emissions of an energized object to pinpoint the location and further analyzes the emissions to determine the likely cause of the shock hazard. This thesis focuses on advancing detection technology and creating a more capable, production-ready unit.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Phipps, Kermit O."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MS (Master of Science)","degree_level":"Thesis - unrestricted","degree_discipline":"Technology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2010,"date_issued":"2010-12-18T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2010-12-18T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:20:55Z","subjects":["Jodie Lane","pedestrian shocks","animal shocks","Handheld detector/analyzer","emissions","mandated city scans","Order 04-M-0159","inadvertently energized objects","Electrical and Computer Engineering","Electrical and Electronics","Engineering"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1771","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Phipps, Kermit O."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2010-12-18T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Technology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - unrestricted"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MS (Master of Science)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Jodie Lane","pedestrian shocks","animal shocks","Handheld detector/analyzer","emissions","mandated city scans","Order 04-M-0159","inadvertently energized objects","Electrical and Computer Engineering","Electrical and Electronics","Engineering"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright by the authors."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/3126/viewcontent/PhippsK121510f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1771"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The power distribution infrastructure in the United States is deteriorating at a rapid rate exposing infrastructure wiring and creating potential shock hazards. Periodic road and sidewalk maintenance projects can also expose wiring and create energized objects. In urban settings inadvertently energized objects include: lamp posts, bus shelters, metal street curbs, sign posts, transformer vaults, and manhole covers as well as concrete and asphalt pavement. Every year electric shocks occur when people and domestic animals (such as dogs and cats) make incidental contact with these energized objects. In very rare cases the shocks from these contacts are lethal. Through current personal research, a new handheld detector was developed. It uses the emissions of an energized object to pinpoint the location and further analyzes the emissions to determine the likely cause of the shock hazard. This thesis focuses on advancing detection technology and creating a more capable, production-ready unit.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["New Handheld Emissions Detector for Pinpointing the Location of Inadvertently Energized Objects in Urban Environments."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Phipps, Kermit O."],"dc:date.issued":["2010-12-18T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The power distribution infrastructure in the United States is deteriorating at a rapid rate exposing infrastructure wiring and creating potential shock hazards. Periodic road and sidewalk maintenance projects can also expose wiring and create energized objects. In urban settings inadvertently energized objects include: lamp posts, bus shelters, metal street curbs, sign posts, transformer vaults, and manhole covers as well as concrete and asphalt pavement. Every year electric shocks occur when people and domestic animals (such as dogs and cats) make incidental contact with these energized objects. In very rare cases the shocks from these contacts are lethal. Through current personal research, a new handheld detector was developed. It uses the emissions of an energized object to pinpoint the location and further analyzes the emissions to determine the likely cause of the shock hazard. This thesis focuses on advancing detection technology and creating a more capable, production-ready unit.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/3126/viewcontent/PhippsK121510f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1771"],"dc:rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"dc:subject":["Jodie Lane","pedestrian shocks","animal shocks","Handheld detector/analyzer","emissions","mandated city scans","Order 04-M-0159","inadvertently energized objects","Electrical and Computer Engineering","Electrical and Electronics","Engineering"],"dc:title":["New Handheld Emissions Detector for Pinpointing the Location of Inadvertently Energized Objects in Urban Environments."],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Technology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - unrestricted"],"thesis:degree_name":["MS (Master of Science)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:20:55Z"}