Lightning Protection Systems

Grounding rods and their fittings are used to provide the interface to ground in all soil conditions in order to achieve satisfactory earthing systems in overhead and underground electricity distribution and transmission networks – providing high fault current capacity on low, medium and high voltage substations, towers and power distribution applications. When current seeks and finds its own path(s) back to its voltage source, usually it will pass through equipment. If the voltage passing through that equipment is higher than its operating threshold, the equipment will fail and an outage of some type will take place. Among the various situations that may occur on your electrical system, the most common are high voltage surges , and damage or loss of one of the service conductors.  High voltage surges are often caused by lightning strikes on or near power lines. In addition, voltage spikes can occur when large appliances or heavy machinery at nearby locations are switched on or of...

 One bad storm, a lightning strike, and thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment are gone. Not to mention those dreaded words: down time. That’s why so much attention is given by grounding experts to install the most up-to-date Lightning Surge protection devices and shunt to ground any surge coming into the site, away from the equipment and dissipate the surge that come up through the ground instead of coming in on the wire-line. The terms surge protection device (SPD) and transient voltage surge suppressor (TVSS) is used to describe electrical devices typically installed in power distribution panels, process control systems, communications systems, and other heavy-duty industrial systems, for the purpose of protecting against electrical surges and spikes, including those caused by lightning.  The LEC lightning surge protection devices are designed with heavy-duty industrial users in mind and they provide surge and transient protection in the harshest of environments, prevent...

Direct lightning strikes to transmission lines or substations may damage the electrical equipment and threaten any nearby personnel.  More over a lightning strike on a transformer can cause a major explosion due to the amount of extra voltage injected into it. Lightning bolts can contain up to 120 million volts – depending on the length and size. When a transformer blows, it can knock out power for hundreds to thousands of people. In addition, collateral damages can occur because any line connected with the blown transformer, is now live and could be carrying thousands of volts. Blown transformers can also set its surroundings on fire, especially in dry environments. Because substations should operate reliably and because they are susceptible to lightning strikes, it is common practice to provide a Lightning Protection Design System for both outdoor and indoor substations. LEC lightning protection is based on some very basic principles: Don’t attract lightning, eliminate it If so...

Science and experience show that LEC’s charge dissipation terminals, and the structures on which they are installed, are much less likely to sustain a direct lightning strike than unprotected structures or structures with traditional lightning protection design system. As a lightning downward leader is initiated in the cloud, an electromagnetic field builds up on ground based structures. A static charge accumulation is experienced on the facility and on the lightning terminals installed on the facility. The lightning terminals react by generating upward streamers having the capability to intercept the downward leaders.  These charge dissipation terminals or DAS are manufactured using stainless steel ionization brushes that neutralize build-up of static charges and thus mitigate streamer formation and lightning strikes . The lightning protection level of our systems consider both the lightning current parameters and the probability of not exceeding the maximum and minimum design va...

A lightning rod is connected via a low-resistance wire or cable to the earth or water below, where the charge may be safely dissipated.  As a storm intensifies, it gets electrically charged; a lightning strike occurs when this cloud neutralizes itself with the ground. Any structure that sits between the cloud and ground gets charged and is damaged in the process. Thus a lightning rod protection is installed on the roof of buildings for protection. Lightning can " jump around " when it strikes. This "jumping" is associated with the electrical potential of the strike target with respect to the earth's potential. The lightning can strike and then "seek" a path of least resistance by jumping around to nearby objects that provide a better path to ground. If the strike occurs near the lightning rod protection system, the system will have a very low-resistance path and can then receive a "jump," diverting the strike current to ground before it ...

Franklin’s lightning rods have been used as a means of collecting and controlling the awesome and destructive power of lightning. But is it wise to allow thousands of amperes to flow near sensitive electronic equipment, especially when charge transfer systems (CTSs) are available and can prevent strikes in protected areas? With businesses around the world installing 500 such systems per year, it's a concept worth investigating. In 1971, Roy B. Carpenter Jr. came across the CTS technology while working for the United States Air Force. Carpenter was a chief engineer for the first space shuttle design team. After leaving the USAF, he expanded and patented CTS into the dissipation array system (DAS). It wasn't until the early 1990s that the theory behind DAS advanced and developed into the CTSs available today. Let us look at some of the lightning protection products available with CTS technology: The Dissipation Array System (DAS) is one of the most common configurations of a Cha...

Power generation transmission and distribution, fossil, solar, water treatment plants, substations and nuclear plants are typically constructed in large and unobstructed locations, making these systems susceptible to lightning strikes. Power Generation, Transmission And Distribution  Large power plants have been built to supply energy. Lightning events can damage facilities and equipment, disrupt work, and even cause injury or death to process-critical employees. A prolonged service outage from lightning strikes can negatively impact the community that a power generation facility is designed to serve. Fossil Fuel  Lightning strikes on fossil fuel facilities, refineries, tank farms and their upstream and downstream supply chains can be explosive and deadly.  Lightning protection for these facilities is mandatory.  Lightning strikes can be prevented around the most vulnerable areas and all areas can be protected with proper LP solutions. Solar  Solar farms are ju...