é INTRODUCING SYSTEM 3000 The awesome natural phenomenon of lightning is an ever present and unpredictable enemy. It is a constant danger to humanity in general and, in @ world of increasingly complex and sophisticated buildings and equipment, a single direct strike, measured in microseconds, can result in physical damage and catastrophic failure. It can initiate fire, cause major breakdowns to electrical, telephone and computer installations and simultaneously cause substantial loss of revenue. Lightning is a common event; for example the Continental USA has received more ion lightning strikes in the last 20 years. Tropical regions of the world have even higher incidences of lightning. Deaths due to lightning average around two per year per million of population on a worldwide basis. Since 1760 the most popular methods of lightning protection have involved sharp (Franklin) rods, horizontal conductors (Faraday Cage) or combinations of both. Many attempts have been made to assign protective areas to key points in a protection system. These methods have evolved into the “Cone of Protection” or “Rolling Sphere” Unfortunately, many Codes of Practice which recommend Franklin and Faraday Cage or Rolling Sphere lightning protection methods are forced to state, for example — “experience shows that a conductor cannot be relied upon to provide complete protection with any protective zone"’/British Code BS6651. In a similar way the German Code states ‘Experience has shown that no unambiguous protection zone can be assigned to a lightning conductor”. in summary, it can be said that litle improvement has been made in lightning protection design for several hundred years. Continuing modern research methods however, coupled with improved recording and monitoring equipment, have led to a better understanding of the discharge process. Recordings have been made of pre-discharge electric fields, downward leader propagation, upward streamer initiation, peak current magnitudes, current waveshapes, propagation velocities and many other parameters. The lightning discharge mechanism is better understood today than at any prior time in history. Despite excellent continuing research programs however, much remains to be discovered and this precludes the design of perfect lightning protection. Thus, recommendations in Codes of Practice present simple geometric forms of design which are compromised between complexity, effectiveness and an ability to be applied by those not specifically skilled in lightning protection. It was in this environment that SYSTEM 3000 engineers embarked on a research and development program to close the gap between cost and achieving a reliable, predictable performance. ‘The selected techniques provided for assessment of all major lightning parameters as applied to the geometry of each individual structure. Electric field concentrations of major structural points are compared to find their relative probability of lightning capture. The concept is inherently more rigorous, but does allow design engineers to more closely relate cost, risk and performance level.8. The products presented in this literature integrate:- a) b) ©) 4) e) D ‘A COMPUTER enhanced simulation to account for widely variable structural geometries ADYNASPHERE Early Streamer Emission Terminal, a dynamic air termination which acts as a preferred strike point ATRIAX, a specially manufactured surge conductor to eliminate sidetlashing. A LIGHTNING EVENT COUNTER to register strikes to the System 3000. and An EARTH ENHANCING COMPOUND to improve earthing in difficult areas. MIN ROD Earthing Electrode. SYSTEM 3000—ADVANCED INTEGRATED LIGHTNING PROTECTION. Lightning proves to be persistent A classic example of the regularity with which lightning can strike a particular area is she tragic case of John Stark, an Illinois farmer. First, Stark's barn and livestock were destroyed. Within ten days, his hayshed was struck and burned, A short time later, a bolt hit a fence, injuring Stark. Seven years after the event, lightning ended its terrible pursuit, killing Stark in a neighbour's barn. Lightning Protection International Pty Ltd, Technopark, Dowsings Point, Hobart, Tasmania, 7010 Australia, Telephone: Nat: (002) 73 0133 Int: 6102 730133 Facsimile: Nat: (002) 73 1871 Int: 6102 731871 Telex: 58260 © Copyright 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993.SYSTEM 3000 LIGHTNING PROTECTION SYSTEM System 3000 Protection is the most advanced in the world today. The unique features of this System allow the achievement of a technical performance not previously possible. Its theoretical performance has been computed and proven in the laboratory and its field performance has been proven both by satisfactory large scale field testing together with an intensive high voltage testing program in the United States of America. WHAT IS THE SYSTEM? System 3000 is composed of the highly effective early streamer emission terminal known as the DYNASPHERE Early Streamer Emission Terminal. A single DYNASPHERE Early Streamer Emission Terminal is capable of providing a preferred point for lightning discharges which would otherwise strike the structure which requires protection. The DYNASPHERE Early Streamer Emission Terminal is totally insulated trom the structure and is connected to the TRIAX downconductor in such a way as to provide a totally insulated system. ‘The TRIAX cable conveys the discharge to ground without electrifying the protected structure. This ensures safety to personnel and equipment. The cable virtually eliminates the risk of side flashing since the central conductor is shielded from other objects. I is the integration of the proven LPI DYNASPHERE Early Streamer Emission Terminal and the highly successful LP! TRIAX cable that brings to industry the most secure lightning protection system yet devised, THE DYNASPHERE EARLY STREAMER EMISSION AIR TERMINAL The result of many years of theoretical and ongoing field research is the DYNASPHERE Early Streamer Emission Terminal. This unit provides the design engineer with an air termination relatively free of space charges which is capable of creating photo-ionisation and which concentrates electric field to release free electrons on the approach of a lightning leader. ‘The DYNASPHERE Early Streamer Emission Terminal is a dynamic device which requires no external source of power supply. This remarkable terminal has the ability to concentrate only that electric field which occurs in the millisecond time slots as the leader charges approach ground. ‘The DYNASPHERE Early Streamer Emission Terminal establishes capacitive coupling to the leader charge and, due to internal non-destructible passive electronics, the outer spherical surface fises in voltage producing field concentration about its centrally earthed finial. The rate of field intensification depends on sphere geometry, terminal placement, leader charge and leader approach velocity. Fig. 5. shows how this field is concentrated. Fig. 5 DYNASPHERE Early Streamer Emission Terminal Field Concentration. 10[ [ ® ‘The DYNASPHERE Early Streamer Emission Terminal has been designed to provide repetitive electrical discharges but only during the approach time of the leader. This results in the presence of photo-ionisation and free electrons without an intervening substantial space charge. Unlike other air terminals using battery or corona generated discharges, DYNASPHERE Early Streamer Emission Terminal is radio quiet. Its discharges only occur during the lightning event and any noise caused is swamped in the magnitude of the main discharge. These factors are combined with sphere geometry and the sphere’s location on a structure to determine its collection volume. Unlike the DYNASPHERE Early Streamer Emission Terminal, pointed rods and other types of enhancement terminals create corona comprised of free electrons which are released by high static field or battery powered devices. These electrons may form a space charge above the emission point and can act to reduce the electric field at a potential strike point. The attractive range of the DYNASPHERE Early Streamer Emission Terminal is not constant but varies with the height and geometry of the structure, the location of the DYNASPHERE Early Streamer Emission Terminal on a structure, and the atmospheric and electrical properties existing during the lightning event. Since all points on a structure will compete to capture the lightning, the OYNASPHERE Early Streamer Emission Terminal must be positioned to become the preferred strike point By plotting electric field intensification about various structures, our engineers have developed a computer program which is used to assist in the design of a low cost and effective lightning protection system taking into consideration the various parameters important in estimating the likely strike points of the lightning discharge. This allows accurate positioning of the DYNASPHERE Early Streamer Emission Terminal. Fig. 6 Shows a comparison testing of the Dynasphere Early Streamer Emission Terminal ‘and Franklin Rod terminal.Fig. 7 Shows an experiment which confirms the superiority of the DYNASPHERE Early Streamer Emission Terminal over ‘a Franklin Rod. Ongoing research continues at this location in the United States of America and Darwin Australia. COLLECTION VOLUMES ‘The derivation of the collection volume design concept can be understood by considering the approach of the downward leader. The charge Q distributed along this leader causes rapid increase in electric field between it and ground points. When a critical field value is reached, the ground point launches an upward intercepting leader. The distance at which this occurs is called “Striking Distance”. The critical electrical field is dependent on both leader charge and distance from the ground point. Fig. 8 shows how it is possible to form striking distance hemispheres around an isolated ground point. The greater the leader charge, the greater the distance. Fig, 8 Striking Distance Hemispheres. 2Unfortunately, this simplistic approach of creating striking distance hemispheres is not infallible in practice. Regard must be taken of the relative velocities of the approaching leaders. Fig. 8 shows how it is possible to reach critical electric field and launch an upward leader. If the downward leader is near the periphery of the sphere, its velocity may carry it onward to intercept another upward leader. Therefore, it is possible for the downward leader to enter a striking distance hemisphere without interception. In Fig. 9 a limiting parabola is placed on the hemisphere. This parabola is derived from velocity factors and completes our “collection volume". It can now be stated that a downward leader entering such a volume is theoretically assured of interception by the ground point concerned. Fig. 9 also shows how. collection volumes become larger with increased leader charge. That is, the larger the magnitude of the current stroke, the larger the collection volume. \ \ “0 THE ELECTROMAGNETIC AND THE CONDITIONS ARE BOTH NECESSARY Fig. 9 Collection Volumes, Hemispheres bounded by a limiting parabola. Lightning Strikes Twice to Kill Once In upper New York state in 1985, an ambulance was called to attend to a farmer injured by lightning while he was driving a tractor and ploughing his field, An hour later, on his way to hospital, the ambulance was struck by lightning. It crashed and he was killed. DID You KNOW? A lightning strike only occurs tor a very short period of time (2-300 microseconds). One microsecond Is to a second what one minute Is to 23 months or one inch to 16 miles.THE TRIAX DOWNCONDUCTOR The TRIAX downconductor functions to convey the lightning discharge current to ground without danger of sideflashing. A unique conductive outer sheath allows electrostatic bonding of the building through cable securing saddles. Zhe TRIAX downconductor evolved after extensive studies of potential voltage rise in structures Gue to lightning injection. This cable comprises carefully selected dielectric materials which create capacitive balance and ensure insulation integrity under high impulse conditions When integrated with the SYSTEM 3000 DYNASPHERE Early Streamer Emission Terminal, the SYSTEM 3000 TRIAX downconductor assists in both capture of the lightning discharge and safe conveyance to ground. Zhe unique ability of TRIAX to confine a discharge current and simultaneously suppor electrical Bonding will ensure minimal risk to buildings, occupants and sensitive electronics Fig. 10 Triax Construction Format. The TRIAX downconductor is the most significant advance in lightning protection downcondustor ‘echniques in decades. To understand the technical value of the cable, it is frst necessary to review the problems associated with normal down conductors. Fig. 11 shows how the ceff nductance of a normal conductor causes very high voltages to be developed, AA Value of inductance of 1.6 microhenries/metre is normally regarded as quite small. However vhen @ current is impressed which is rising at the rate of 10" amperes Per second, the effect vi this inductance becomes dominant. As an example, a single 60 metre downeonductes will ms@ to a value in excess of 1,000,000 volts with an average discharge. Its for this reason that or more down conductors are frequently specified with standard protection methods. DID You KNOW? 7 area of Java in Indonesia has 322 days of electrical storms in one year. 14 =[ f c i = 4 r a ZL ws ene rey, 3 FOR 204A PEAK DISCHARGE CURRENT = 495 + a9000 VOU FER METRE OF DOWNCONDUCTOR = 48196 VOLTS FER METRE OF DOWNCONOUCICR "TS 6 EQUVALENT TO 60. 48195 VOLTS FOR THE RUN coMeRE Sony coves £ = 2BP2MESA VOLIS FOR 60 M OF BOWNCONDUCTOR SELEINDUCTANCE OF SIMPLE DOWNCONDUCTOR = NeMICROMEN METRE (CURRENT IE ME = 1 NACROSECOND Fig. 11 The effect of self inductance in a single downconductor. There is frequently a problem of routing normal downconductors due to the requirement to keep them out of sight for aesthetic reasons. This often leads to them being run with right angle bends in their length. The increased inductance caused by these bends causes further voltage rise and can lead to electrical break down or side flashing as shown in Fig. 12. In normal methods of protection, the building is always electrified and there always exists the danger of sideflashing. A single TRIAX Downconductor overcomes the above danger and even allows the cable to be run safely inside a building in relative safety. To understand how this can happen, itis necessary to compare the electrical transitory effects of normal and triaxial downconductors during the discharge, own conpucton Parapet walt own conpucton Foucus CxmaveneD SCION encen oF SDE RAGNG TO PEORE Fig. 12 Dangerous practice in the routing of conventional downconductors.2 ENS EOHMHOF Fe Se ase Fig. 13 The mechanism leading to side flashing from normal down conductors Fig. 18 shows the electrical conditions immediately before a discharge and those during the transfer of charge to ground. It can be seen that the rod is suddenly impressed with a polarity opposite to that of the ground. This causes intense electric fields between rod, downconductor network and building. These can give tise to side flashing. In the case of the TRIAX cable as shown in Fig. 14, it can be seen that the outer sheath acts as a shield to other objects and the danger of side flashing is virtually eliminated. It is because of the TRIAX sheath that it becomes possible to run the cable internally with complete safety. Losin coweren ay vance ane ce connuc a 78 eOUCE SAN EPH covreaeo apacrve UPL ToMsinare aNd MMSE ace Cnn Lagounaa secracat crams "o stauctiee Fig. 14 TRIAX downconductor minimises the danger of side flashing. The practical benefits of the TRIAX are:- 1) It provides the design engineer with the ability to select the lightning route to ground. This can utilise air ducts ete. and can be located remote from electrical and sensitive electronic ‘equipment. 2) The lightning is contained in the 50mm* copper core conductor and is oblivious to impedance irregularities in the structure, The risk of sideflashing is virtually eliminated.3) The structure carries only that minimal current which is due to capacitive coupling to the main conductor. Accordingly, voltages across concrete and reinforcing members remains small, This leads to the conclusion that no special bonding techniques are required. 4) The placement of a single TRIAX downconductor with a single earthing system is generally of lower cost than that of conventional techniques. WHY USE TRIAX?—A TECHNICAL DISCUSSION Considers a conventionally protected structure, This is shown in Fig. 15 and comprises copper or aluminium conductors along and down the outer face of the structure. Each conductor lies in both physical and electrical contact with the structure, ‘When lightning strikes one of these conductors, it rises in voltage due to self inductance. The internal structural steel is earthed and usually lies only a few centimetres from the lightning conductor. Many instances are recorded of discharge currents breaking down the intervening distance and using the structural stee! to reach ground. This is particularly so when the lightning conductor does not proceed directly to ground but follows a tortuous route over and around parapets ete. Lightning currents within structural members have many paths to follow and may pass close to sensitive equipment or insulated items. This leads to sideflashing and magnetically induced over voltage. Sideflashing is a known cause of human injury and death. Electromagnetic overvoltages cause major damage and disruption to EDP equipment, computers and instrumentation Fig. 16 shows a similar situation using TRIAX. In this case, the lightning current is confined and potential equalisation occurs between cable and structure. Note that by correctly routing the TRIAX, negligible current passes near sensitive equipment and personnel. Another clear advantage of TRIAX is its single installation leading to a single earth system. TRIAX also permits internal routing for security. Fig. 15 Conventional Protection with risk of flashover to structural members and insulated cables.74 ho Nye Fig, 16 USING TRIAX, the main lightning discharge current is confined to the inner conductor with potential equalisation along the downconductor. CONCLUSION — DOWNCONDUCTORS 5 Networks of insulated or uninsulated downconductors installed in accordance with various Codes of Practices cannot be applied with total safety against large strikes. The variation of capacitance with structural discontinuities leads to voltage stress points. These would be variable in location, and dependent on both structure, shape and installation practice. Under such circumstances sideflashing is inevitable. Other screened downconductors (with screen floating at the top) improve the performance of an ordinary downconductor by having a known and fixed capacitance between core and screen. However, the screen to structure capacitance is variable and dependent on good installation practice. A single TRIAX cable overcomes the above deficiencies by utilising a conductive sheath which is bonded to the structure by metallic fastening saddles. This format provides two capacitances which are core/screen and screen/sheath. Both are fixed and of known value, The TRIAX cable has been shown to withstand 75% of all statistically recorded lightnings irrespective of length and relief wave effects. When account is taken of the latter, together with the statistical spread of lightning parameters, the TRIAX is capable of withstanding the largest of lightning and can be applied to very tall structures. 3000 killed by Lightning induced Arsenal explosion One of the worst death tolls due indirectly 10 lightning happened in Italy in 1769 when the arsenal at Brescia was “struck by lighting. One-sixth of the city was destroyed and 3000 people killed. — Derek Elsom, New Scientist 24 June 1989.— q LP! LIGHTNING EVENT COUNTER Type LEC2 DESCRIPTION The LPI Lightning Event Counter type LEC2 is specifically designed for use with the System 3000. ‘The inbuilt counter will register all lightning strokes and is not resetable. A special toroidal coil is simply fitted over the earth conductor at the earth point to inductively couple lightning energy into the counter circuitry. No batteries are required — the system is self powered, and as the components are fully weatherproof, the system can be mounted outdoors or in damp locations. For a modest outlay, the performance of your System 3000 can be directly measured providing valuable statistical information and proving the effectiveness of your lightning protection. LEC2 can of course provide the same information for other types of lightning installations. AIM 4 Fig, 19 LEC2 Lightning Event Counter. SPECIFICATION MINIMUM OPERATING CURRENT — 1500 amperes on a 8/20 microsecond impulse. POWER SUPPLY — Self powered. CIRCUITRY — All solid state with electro mechanical counter registering up to 9999, not resetable. COMPONENTS — Toroidal coil, fully encapsulated. Internal hole of 80mm diameter, External diameter of coll 80mm. Counter is built into a coil housing and viewed through a polycarbonate window. METHOD OF CONNECTION ‘The counter is slipped over the TRIAX downconductor prior to connection with the earth stake. If more convenient, the counter can be positioned on the earth stake itself. This can apply to the downconductors of conventional protection installations. Refer to LPI handbook for more specific instructions. 20SYSTEM 3000 — SPECIFICATION GENERAL 14 12 13 AIR at 22 2.3 24 25 26 27 28 29 2.10 The lightning protection system shall be of the enhancing type designed to attract lightning from a predetermined volume and to safely convey the lightning current to earth through a known and preferred route. The lightning protection system shail include components as follows: air termination(s) mechanical support(s), downconductor(s), performance recording equipment, and an earthing system. The design of the components shall be traceable to field research, laboratory testing, fundamental analysis, and statistical levels of the lightning event. TERMINATION The air termination shall be of the type that responds dynamically to the appearance of a lightning downleader by creating free electrons and photo-ionisation between a spherical surface and an earthed central finial, Arcing is not to be continuous and shall only occur during the progress of the lightning leader. Arcing shall not occur solely due to electro-static field when a thunderstorm is, ‘overhead except when there is leader activity in the region. ‘The air termination shall not cause high frequency radio interference except during the millisecond intervals associated with the progress of the lightning leader and during the main return strike of lightning events in the region. The air termination shall be non-radioactive and require no special licensing. The external shape of the terminal shall be such as to significantly reduce the build up of sharp point corona discharge under static field thunderstorm conditions. The air termination shall not be dependent upon batteries or external power supplies for any part of its operation. It shall have no moving parts. The materials of the air termination shall be non corroding in normal atmosphere. The centre earthed finial shall be at least 300mm® in cross section and be made of electric grade non ferrous material. The outer metallic surfaces of the terminal shall be manutactured of anodised aluminium. The air termination shall be insulated from the protected structure under all conditions. The size of the collection volume and attractive radius of the air termination shall be traceable to known and acceptable lightning research and statistics. ‘The termination shall be mounted a minimum of 10 metres from the ground. ‘The air termination shall be installed strictly to the manufacturer's instructions. It shall not be installed in corrosive environments or atmospheres without prior written approval from the manufacturer. 38i 2.12 AIR 34 3.2 3.3 The protective zone provided by the air termination shall be such that it becomes the preferred strike point for all discharges exceeding a peak amplitude return strike current of XX*kA according to the statistical level YYYY" of protection required. The design shall take account of upward leader competing projections on the structure. LEVELS OF EXCEEDANCE CURRENT (XX) PROTECTION (YYYY) PROBABILITY 3kA Very High 99% kA High’ 98% 40kA Medium 93% 15kA Standard 85% 20kA Low 75% TERMINATION SUPPORT The support shall consist of a minimum of 1.15 metres of insulating fibreglass cylindrical tube. The tube shall have a minimum wall thickness of 4mm and have such diameter as to allow neat in-line mounting of the terminal. The downconductor shall pass through the centre of the tube. The support shall be securely bolted to other mast materials with guy wires used where necessary to enable the air termination and mast system to withstand maximum locally recorded wind velocities. The support arrangement shall have sufficient rigidity to ensure that the maximum deflection of the termination under such extreme wind conditions shall not exceed 100mm. The support arrangement shall have a first natural frequency of oscillation occurring at a wind speed at least two times the maximum design wind speed for the region. DOWNCONDUCTOR at 42 43 47 48 The downconductor shall consist of a plastic filler, copper conductor, inner insulation, outer copper conductor, cuter insulation and conductive sheath, all concentrically arranged. The outer diameter of the downconductor shall be less than 40mm. The main copper conductor shall be made of electrical grade copper of minimum cross sectional area of 50mm! In the final 3m to the ground and where it is exposed to human intervention, the downconductor shall be placed in a protective PVC pipe of 3mm minimum wall thickness So as to avoid mechanical damage and increase human safety. The main copper conductor shall be capable of direct connection to the base of the air termination by use of a crimp lug. ‘The downconductor shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and should not be subject to bends of less than 0.5 metres radius. The downconductor shall be secured to the structure by approved metallic fastenings at least every 2 metres. Impulse ratings between conductors shall be no less than 250kV,, i.e: core—screen 250kV, screen—outer conductive sheath 250kV based on 1/50 wave shape. 39PERFORMANCE RECORDING EQUIPMENT 5.1. Every protection system shall be supplied with a lightning event counter. 5.2. The lightning event counter shall have an electronically controlled mechanical register which activates one registration for every discharge at the point of measurement over 1500A peak current 5.3. The lightning event counter shall be water resistant, robust and easy to install. It shall have a concentric hole between 52 and 60mm diameter through which the downconductor or earth stake is placed. 5.4 The lightning event counter shall be installed to the manufacturer's instructions in a readily accessible manner so that readings can be taken al regular intervals. EARTHING 6.1. The earth system reading shall not exceed 10 ohms static impedance except with prior approval by the specifying engineer or manufacturer of the lightning protection system, 6.2 Earthing will be done by copper wire or tape buried not more than 750mm deep or by deep driven copper clad steel earth rods especially designed for electrical earthing or a combination of these. In all cases the earthing system shall be electrically connected to the centre earth rod which is securely clamped to the downeonductor system. 6.3 Bonding of the earth system to metallic parts of the building, the structural reinforcing steel of the building and to arriving services is recommended. The resistance should be measured and the 10 ohms maximum figure achieved before such bonding is done. 6.4 Electrically conductive, non soluble Earth Enhancing Compounds may be used to help achieve low earth resistance provided the materials are mixed and installed strictly in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.MATERIALS AND APPROXIMATE DIMENSIONS FOR SYSTEM 3000 os SE carutene J — L { Ieee Beal has L Er eiabead tho | @ ESN aa ¥ I SOUT SADLES wrayt ae 3 ee greta : { fi ey we asso pee 28) L 3 ‘Stemi ndu SE nar at a prt tor me ot ; J SRR L ———o i noe —G Ff ‘ ee moe SRS IVR i ae owororuow Figure 34. f 4