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Special Lightning Protection Methods

Lightning is the discharge of static electricity within a cloud during the formation of thunderstorms. The discharge can happen between sections of the cloud or to Earth. The in-cloud discharges are harmless except for the shock from the resultant thunder. It is the cloud-to-Earth lightning strike that needs protection from. The power of such strikes can cause considerable damage to property. These high-voltage electric shocks are fatal to human and animals. Therefore, lightning protection methods are used to diffuse the electric charge from a cloud-to-ground lightning safely.

  1. Lightning Rods

    • Also known as air terminals, lightning rods are the most commonly used system of lightning protection. Protection from lightning strike is achieved by providing a preferential strike point for the lightning. It is a point that will attract the lightning away from surrounding structures onto it and discharge it by grounding. As with lightning rods, the preferential strike point is a copper or aluminum rod fixed onto the highest point in the structures that are to be protected from lightning strikes. These rods are connected by a copper or aluminum cable down to ground conductors or electrodes that can safely disperse the charge into the Earth. The ground electrodes are usually a large piece of metal buried deep in the ground near the protected structure.

    Lightning Arresters

    • Power lines in a thunder-prone area are affected by lightning strikes frequently. When lightning strikes a power line or close by, power surges happen along the power line, which can cause damage to internal wiring and electrical equipments and cause fires in the electrical system. Lightning arresters are installed at the mains. They route the surge in the power system harmlessly into the ground.

    Early Streamer Emission System

    • A streamer emission system is an unconventional system of lightning protection. Normally, conventional systems are installed to take the strike at a preferred strike point by positioning the point strategically. Though not a foolproof method as there is no guarantee that the lightning will strike on the preferential strike point and not the surrounding areas, however, chances of the lightning hitting the strike point is higher than on any other surrounding structures or areas. With an unconventional streamer emission system, a lightning strike can be prevented by generating a charge that actively attracts the strike to a predetermined strike point.

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