Lightning Protection Systems

Ever since there has been any thought given to lightning protection the vast majority of that thought has been based on the premise that lightning is "an act of God" and as such should not , and indeed cannot, be influenced by man. By virtue of the same reasoning men were also told they could not fly, go to the moon, etc. If this premise is to form the basis of our design practice then the basis of  lightning rod protection  systems and technology will be limited by the resulting constraints and performance limitations. This principle is a remedial form of protection that treats the symptoms rather than the cause. ​ Lightning rod protection technologies are designed to provide protection to structures against physical damage from lightning strikes. Various technologies are available to shield a facility from lightning. What is a lightning rod? The lightning rod has been used for over 200 years as a conductive metal rod mounted atop a roof. They route the lightning strike away...

  Conventional   lightning protection systems   protect buildings, equipment, and people from lightning strikes by using lightning rods to attract the lightning and conduct the resulting surge current to ground via a grounding wire or the building’s steel frame. However, the associated   electromagnetic pulse   (EMP) can cause a surge current to flow through electronic devices in the building, resulting in damage to equipment. In contrast, the new Dissipation Array lightning protection system prevents lightning damage by inhibiting the lightning strikes themselves. DAS interrupts the formation of upward streamers through point discharge, a phenomenon where a well-grounded point exchanges ions between the air and the ground. Point discharge becomes more efficient when the points are connected to a low-impedance grounding system and more ions can be transferred with a greater number of points, interrupting the formation of upward stre...

Lightning is a final result of the natural creation of an electrical charge imbalance in the Earth’s atmosphere. Lightning occurs both within the atmosphere, cloud-to-cloud lightning, and from the atmosphere to the earth, sky to ground lightning or the reverse, ground to sky discharge. Regardless of the direction of the lightning stroke, a great deal of energy is released as the electrical charge balance of the atmosphere-earth is restored. An average lightning strike consists of three strokes, with a peak current flow of 18,000 amperes for the first impulse and about half that amount of current flowing in the second and third strokes. A  lightning protection  system is designed to protect a structure from damage due to  lightning  strikes. Lightning protection components at a glance : An air terminal, down conductor, and at least one ground plate or rod for each beacon tower, should be installed. The air terminal should be installed at the top of the tower with the ...

  In any U.S. geographical area, lightning storms occur as few as five times or as many as 100 times per year. Lightning and static issues have resulted in the loss of many oil production sites. Modern upstream oil production locations include technologies that are constantly changing at a rapid rate.   Statics show that 95% of rim seal fires of an FRT are a result of a lightning strike. By design to ensure ease of movement of the floating roof within the tank shell, there exists a gap between the tank shell and the edge of the floating roof. This eliminates friction, guarantees ease of movement but creates issues in the same areas when lightning strikes.    Recent design enhancements in  fuel tank lightning protection  by LEC called a Retractable Grounding Array (RGA) is provides protection with a self-retracting conductor. The RGA retracts and extends based on the roof level thereby maintaining the shortest electrical connection possible an...

  The earth grounding system is the process of connecting a facility’s electrical system to the ground. It helps carry unexpected electrical charges safely to the ground without harming any other source. For example, a lightning strike can easily send an extra voltage of electricity to different electrical components in the facility thereby damaging them. With a grounding system in place, this damage can be easily avoided. And a   grounding rod   has just one duty– to dissipate a static discharge voltage (like lightning) to earth, thereby stabilizing voltages from the power source. Lightning Eliminators and Consultants, Inc. (LEC) addresses all lightning related critical issue by providing advanced testing services and superior grounding products that produce highly accurate results. LEC invented the Chem-Rod - a Ground Enhancement Material (GEM) -    Efficient Lower resistance/impedance achieved with fewer rods. -    Consistent Maintain low resistance...

  LEC surveyed and reported that blades on at least 55 machines at a wind farm in Honshu, Japan, were destroyed by lightning at a cost in excess of $5.5 million. Instances of severe mechanical or fire damage to complete turbines were also reported. By their very nature, wind turbines end up in harsh locations where damage from volatile weather makes them vulnerable. In fact, wind turbines may be the most exposed of all types of generators connected to electric-power networks. Costly lightning-related damage is most often caused by ·   Insufficient direct strike protection ·   Inappropriate or inadequate transient voltage surge suppressors ·   Unsatisfactory bonding and/or grounding What we can do ·    A properly designed  lightning rod protection  system will prevent physical damage to the turbine by redirecting lightning currents to Earth. ·    The cost of these lightning rod protection systems represents a small portion of the total pr...

  Every building poses unique risk factors for lightning strikes, and every protection system varies depending on the structure and roofing system of your property. Conventional   lightning protection   installations are customized to safely redirect lightning strikes to a ground, thereby protecting the structure and electrical system from potential cracks and electrical fires. However, this age old method can cause considerable damage to electrical appliances, downtime and loss of production to companies.  Lightning Eliminators Patented Dissipation Array System prevents direct strikes, minimizes the risk to your operations, increases personnel safety and a healthier bottom line.  Our professional services include: Lightning protection risk assessment  - We are able to evaluate the need for lightning protection by risk assessment undertaken by our designers, who would then proceed to create a design that systematically blends with your building. System desi...