Patent ID: 8223031

Claim:
A device for the detection of ground potential rise comprising: a. a first electrode and a second electrode; b. a voltage attenuator comprising a first input, a second input, and an output; c. said first input of said voltage attenuator electrically connected to said first electrode; d. said second input of said voltage attenuator electrically connected to said second electrode; e. a means for determining the presence of a dangerous ground potential connected to said voltage attenuator; f. a means for enabling one or more alarms upon the detection of said dangerous ground potential; and g. said means for determining the presence of a dangerous ground potential and said means for enabling one or more alarms comprising one or more computers, microcontrollers, or application specific integrated circuits (ASIC); h. said means for determining the presence of a dangerous ground potential comprising: i. a means for determining the true RMS voltage at said output of said voltage attenuator; and i. said a means for enabling one or more alarms comprising: i. a means for enabling one or more alarms when said true RMS voltage exceeds a first predetermined voltage threshold; j. a first control system comprising said means for determining the true RMS voltage and said means for enabling one or more alarms; k. said first control system comprising one or more storage medias and an analog-to-digital converter; l. said analog-to-digital converter electrically connected to said output of said voltage attenuator; m. said one or more storage medias comprising computer code for performing one or more calculations to determine an RMS value based on the voltage at said output of said voltage attenuator; n. said first control system comprising a first predetermined voltage relating to said first predetermined voltage threshold; and o. said first control system comprising a storage media comprising computer code for comparing said determined RMS value and said first predetermined value.