1 ELECTRICAL BUSINESS
CIRCUIT PROTECTION
A holistic approach to telecommunication
facility protection
No single device can provide Lightning strikes are not the
total lightning immunity only menace. Damage caused
BY DR. A. J. SURTEES
Dr. A. J. Surtees is Technical
Manager – Facility Protection
(North & South America) with
Solon, OH-based ERICO Inc.
T
elecommunication
installations are vulnera-
ble to damage caused by
a wide range of events — from
direct lightning strikes to tem-
porary over-voltages caused by
switching surges or poor regu-
lation of power supply.
The destructive capacity of
lightning, surges and transients
is readily seen from the follow-
ing.
• Peak currents exceeding
100 kA with a 10/350 µs
waveshape.
• Current rise times of
40kA/µs.
• Repeat re-strikes in over 70
per cent of cloud-to-
ground strikes.
• Continuing currents of
200-500A, possibly lasting
one to two seconds.
Structures located on high ter-
rain, near tall towers and on top
of tall buildings attract light-
ning seeking the easiest path to
ground. High-energy, high-
voltage transients can be pro-
duced by direct strikes to
antenna towers or by near-
strikes, which induce transient
voltages via capacitive or
inductive coupling onto power
and telephone cables. Whatev-
er the source, transients and
flashovers cause catastrophic
damage to electronic compo-
nents.
by temporary over-voltages
due to switching surges or poor
regulation of the utility power
is an ever-present threat to
telecommunications stations at
the end of long power distribu-
tion lines.
A comprehensive
system approach
Lightning protection, ground-
ing, equi-potential bonding and
surge protection are all interde-
pendent technologies. No air
terminal can safely capture
lightning energy without a
dependable route to ground.
Without a low-impedance
ground system, Transient Volt-
age Surge Suppressors (TVSS)
perform poorly. A low-imped-
ance ground system, bereft of
good equi-potential bonding, is
less than effective. Thus, no sin-
gle technology can eliminate all
the risks of lightning or tran-
sient over-voltages. Only a co-
ordinated approach to total
facility protection can help to
mitigate these.
ERICO has developed a com-
prehensive, integrated plan for
the electrical design of wireless
communications facilities. Ade-
quate protection of a facility
requires co-ordinated imple-
mentation of all aspects of the
multi-point plan. This holistic
approach seeks to minimize the
risk of damage from lightning
and its related deleterious
effects, while providing the
greatest value to the facility
owner.
The Six-Point Plan
Figure I, is a schematic illustra-
tion of this concept, integrating
six protection philosophies to
secure the objective of total pro-
tection. The six elements of the
Plan are outlined below.
Capturing the lightning strike
to a known and controlled
point: The highest point on a
structure is the most probable
attachment point for a lightning
strike. A purpose-designed and
correctly installed air terminal
atop the communications tow-
er can ensure attachment of the
strike to a preferred point away
from the antennae and cabling,
thus minimizing the potential
for damage to equipment
caused by the discharge.
Figure II illustrates two differ-
ent air terminal systems.
• A passive system.
• An active system based on
the “Dynasphere” air termi-
nal.
The former—commonly
employed for over two cen-
turies — involves the use of
sharp rods (called Franklin
rods), horizontal or vertical
rods (called a Faraday cage) or
a combination of both, to attract
the discharge.
The patented “Dynasphere”
represents an advanced alter-
native. An enhanced ionizing
process, aided by a spark gap
around the centre attachment
finial, the spherical geometry
that reduces corona fields dur-
ing the high E-field build-up
prior to a cloud-to-ground dis-
charge, and the internal static
drain componenetry serve to
promote an early triggering of
an upward streamer in
response to the approaching
down-leader. The timing of
such streamer emission is criti-
cal to ensure thermalisation of
the air breakdown and the pro-
gression into a well-estab-
lished up-leader, which inter-
REPRODUCED FROM OCTOBER 99
cepts and directs the main
lightning down-leader. The
concept behind such “active”
terminals is to ensure that they
are more competitive in time
than the many other ionozing
points on the structure, which
will be competing to launch
upward leaders. By ensuring
that the air terminal com-
mences the air breakdown
process before such competing
features and launches its up-
streamer before these, we are
able to provide a higher statis-
tical probability that this will
become the preferred attach-
ment point for the lightning
event.
Conducting the lightning cur-
rent to ground: Once captured
to a known and preferred point,
we can control the process of
safely dissipating this excess
energy into the ground. This
must be done with minimal
induction to ancillary conduc-
tors, such as nearby coaxial
feeder cables connected directly
to equipment racks.
Down conductors can be split
into two categories: non-insu-
lating and insulating. The for-
mer, such as smooth-weave
copper cable and flat copper
strip, are in electrical contact
with the tower structure itself.
This means that, during a light-
ning discharge, the tower
becomes electrified and ele-
vates in potential causing large
currents to flow in any conduc-
tors, such as RF antennae feed-
ers that are bonded to it. Insu-
lated down conductors are
engineered, using selected
dielectric materials to ensure
insulation integrity even under
high impulse conditions. A spe-
cial semi-conductive plastic
outer sheath allows electrostat-
2 ELECTRICAL BUSINESS REPRODUCED FROM OCTOBER 99

ic bonding of the cable to the sonnel from step-and-touch eration. The capacity of a Eliminating ground loops and
structure. Careful design of the potentials, but also protects the grounding circuit to protect differential potentials: The key
cable geometry can ensure a equipment from hazardous property and personnel is high- to achieving this is to ensure a
very low characteristic imped- differential voltage. It also con- ly dependent on the quality of well-bonded equi-potential
ance to the frequency spectrum tributes to the reduction of connections, since they are ground plane that functions
of the lightning energy. electrical noise and provides a often subject to high currents effectively under transient con-
Dissipating the lightning ener- reference for power conduc- and corrosion. The characteris- ditions.
gy into the ground: Ground- tors to stabilize their voltage- tics of a reliable connection may Facilities sometimes use sepa-
ing, one of the keys to success- to-ground during normal be summarised as follows: rate grounds for lightning,
ful facility protection, is also operation. • An ability to carry as much main power, and communica-
more complex than often Many different methods of con- current as the tions equipment. This arrange-
realised. The source of this structing a ground grid are pos- conductor itself. ment can work well under nor-
complexity lies in the impulse sible. An effective grounding • No deteriorating with age mal operating conditions;
nature of the lightning dis- system will ensure that the (under most soil conditions). however, when lightning or
charge as well as the wide lightning current is dissipated • An ability to withstand other transients occur, poten-
range of soil types and instal- into the ground via a number of repeated fault currents. tial differences between these
lation conditions that are different paths. Such systems • The integrity of the connec- separate grounds can result in
encountered. include the use of radial or tion can be visually inspect- excess circulating currents
A low-impedance ground is crowfoot grounding principles ed. through the sensitive equip-
essential to the performance of using buried conductors and • Require no special installa- ment itself.
any electrical protection sys- multiple ground electrodes. tion skills. A ground ring should surround
tem. To minimize the chance of Grounding-enhancing materi- The CADWELL exothermic any telecom facility and should
damage or injury, the ground als and chemical ground rods welding process meets all the be bonded to the tower ground-
grid must dissipate the surge are also often used. above with the added advan- ing systems and the lightning
efficiently. Proper grounding, Connections, often the weak tage of requiring only light- protection ground. A common
which includes equi-potential link in a ground system, weight and portable equip- busbsar should be installed in
bonding, not only protects per- deserve careful design consid- ment. the telecom shelter and single-

Capture the System 3000

lightning strike Lightning Protection
System

Direct Lightning Strike

PCS,
Radio &
Telemetry
Telephone Lines Equipment

IS
Protect from File
Overhead surges on incoming Server
Distribution
Voltage data/signal lines
Signal Control
Transmission Telephone Main Lines
Lines Distribution Billing
Frame Computer Printer
Induced Surge

Power Distribution System 2000

Panel PABX Lightning Protection
AC Transformer
Sub Station Protect from System
surges on incoming
power lines
Inverter
Rectifier

Power Ground
Conduct
energy to TVSS
ground Batteries
Remote
Data
Terminal

Inspection Well
Ground Potential
Equalization Bonding Bond all Sub-Distribution
grounds Board
together

Dissipate
energy
into the
Low Impedance Ground ground
using flat copper radial Power Protection TVSS Device
earth system and
Figure I Ground Enhancement
Material
Communications Line Protection Device
Ground Electrode
3 ELECTRICAL BUSINESS
Figure II
point grounding principles
applied to ensure all electronic
equipment is referenced to this.
This ensures potential equaliza-
tion between separate ground
points.
Fence grounding, often over-
looked in ground system
design, is of major importance
because of the likelihood of
contact by people. Bonding the
fence to the ground field and
running a buried counterpoise
30” outside the fence is consid-
ered ideal for the protection of
the public.
Protecting equipment from
surges and power line tran-
sients: The diversity of operat-
ing conditions in various instal-
lations, such as different types
of power distribution systems
and local standard require-
ments, presents variegated
challenges. Transient Voltage
Surge Suppressors (TVSS) suit-
ed to a variety of conditions are
available. Often, a hybrid of
more than one technology is
used to optimize both speed of
response and surge-handling
capabilities. These capabilities
seldom coexist in a single TVSS
technology.
Broadly speaking, TVSS protec-
tion can be categorised into:
shunt-only protection and
series-filtering protection.
The former entails the installa-
tion of voltage-limiting devices
such as metal oxide varistors
(MOV) or silicon avalanche
diodes (SAD) across the supply
feeding the facility and the
equipment to be protected.
These devices operate for
ensuring that the incident surge
is reduced to an acceptably low
residual level. Shunt protection
is generally recommended for
loads that are reasonably
immune to over-voltage condi-
tions, such as lighting, motors
and air conditioning.
For more sensitive loads
involving electronic equip-
ment, series-filtering protec-
tion is recommended. This
method employs shunt volt-
age clamping devices as well
as low-pass series filtering. The
filter further reduces the peak
residual let-through voltage
and tailors the waveshape of
the incident surge. The inher-
ently fast rate of rise of the
voltage and current (dv/dt
and di/dt) associated with a
lightning or switching impulse
is a major cause of damage to
equipment using switching
power electronics. This
includes most switched mode
power supplies and rectifier
racks used in telecommunica-
tions sites. The extremely high
di/dt inherent in a lightning
surge can cause these devices
to enter conduction at the
wrong point in their conduc-
tion cycle and fail.
A further advance is the patent-
ed “Transient Discriminat-
ing™” technology. This break-
through in TVSS design uses a
frequency discrimination cir-
cuit to ensure that the suppres-
sion components are only
switched into circuit under true
surge conditions and are kept
removed under sus-
tained over-voltage
50/60Hz events.
Such events, which
can only be catered
for using line-condi-
tioning equipment,
are a constant cause
of concern to
telecommunications
facility managers.
They are caused by
poor power regula-
tion when cell sites
are installed in
remote locations, atop moun-
tains and at the ends of long
transmission lines (often
encountered in third-world
countries where cellular wire-
less is leap-frogging as a means
of communication).
Abnormal over-voltages are
also encountered when the
neutral conductor becomes dis-
connected due to a poor termi-
nal connection. Under such
conditions, traditional TVSS
technology relies on fuse or
thermal disconnects to isolate
the suppressor elements within
the surge protection device,
rendering it useless for subse-
quent transient events until
replaced.
Through its unique ability to
discriminate between a sus-
tained over-voltage and a true
surge or transient, TD technolo-
gy will safely remain operative
even after abnormal and sus-
tained over-voltage conditions.
A hybrid design employing
both MOV and SAD technolo-
gies is used to ensure both a
high energy handling capacity
as well as the speed of response
necessary to provide SVR (Sup-
pressed Voltage Rating). This
technology, with its discrimi-
nating ability, low let-through
voltage and large energy han-
dling capacity, provides the
basis for the next generation of
TVSS devices.
Protecting equipment from
surges and transients entering
via communications lines: tran-
sients and surges are readily
REPRODUCED FROM OCTOBER 99
induced onto low-voltage com-
munications lines carrying data
and signals. Telephone sub-
scriber lines, industrial process
control lines, coaxial feeders,
computer networks (LAN and
WAN), and serial data circuits
are all vulnerable to surges that
may be as high as 10kA in cer-
tain high-risk environments.
With the increased use of sensi-
tive electronics in telecom
equipment, effective surge
clamping is essential to prevent
component damage, opera-
tional downtime and economi-
cal losses.
Coaxial surge protectors
(CPSs) and quarter wave stubs
(QWS) are important in pro-
tecting against transients track-
ing from towers directly to
transmission and telemetry
equipment via antennae feeder
cables. CSPs are gas arrestor
devices housed in accurately
machined, chrome-plated
brass blocks to ensure charac-
teristic impedance matching
with the coaxial cable. Quarter
wave stubs are tuned band-
pass circuits designed to pre-
sent attenuation to frequencies
outside of the narrow operat-
ing frequency of the transmis-
sion equipment.
Telecommunications line pro-
tectors (TLPs) are designed to
protect terminals and interface
equipment from damage due to
transients on subscriber lines.
Land-based telephone, signal
and data lines feeding into the
radio facility should also be
suitably protected.
To conclude, lightning protec-
tion, grounding, equi-potential
bonding and surge protection
are all interdependent disci-
plines. Reliable protection of
personnel and facilities
demands a systematic and co-
ordinated approach to mitigate
the threats posed. Implementa-
tion and co-ordination of all
elements of the six-point plan
are required for optimal pro-
tection and long-term opera-
tional viability.