MODEL POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE

MATTAKKARA, KOTTAYAM

Managed by:
THE INSTITUTE OF HUMAN RESOURCES
DEVELOPMENT
(Established by Government of Kerala)
Department of Technical Education, Kerala

SEMINAR REPORT
ON
LIGHTNING PROTECTION USING LFA-M
Submitted by:

VINAYAK PRAKASH
REG NO:(18041801)

2021-2022
Department of Electronic Engineering
 MODEL POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE
MATTAKKARA, KOTTAYAM
Department of Technical Education, kerala

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that this report is entitled seminar report on LIGHTNING

PROTECTION USING LFA-M submitted by VINAYAK PRAKASH (REG
NO:18041801) of fifth semester Electronics during the academic year of 2020-22
in partial fulfillment of requirement for the award of Diploma in Electronics
Engineering under the Department of technical education , Kerala during year
2021-22

Seminar co- ordinator : Head of the Dept:

Ms. MEGHA P.R Mrs. LUNAMMA JOSEPH

Internal Examiner: External Examiner

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First and foremost I thank GOD almighty for showering his blessings upon me
throughout the entire seminar work. My seminar was possible only because of the

encouragement I received from all quarters.

I take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to principal

Mrs. Lincy Scaria for providing me with adequate facilities.

I expand my heartfelt thanks to Mrs. Lunamma Joseph , Head of computer

science and engineering department for taking personal interest in my seminar.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to Mrs. Anisha P, my tutor for taking personal

interests in my seminar.

I am profusely grateful to my seminar coordinator’s Ms. Megha P.R, Mr.

Thomaskutty Jose Panthanany, and Mr. Subrahmanyan Namboothiry KK, whose
thoughtful commands and constant encouragement improved my seminar significantly.

I express my sincere thanks to all staff members in the department of computer

science and engineering who have taken sincere effort in the presentation of my seminar.

Finally, but not all least I would like to acknowledge the heartfelt efforts,
commands, criticisms, co-operation and tremendous support given to me by dear friends
during the presentation of my seminar and also during my seminar and also during my
presentation without whose support these works would have been all the more difficult to
accomplish.

VINAYAK PRAKASH
LIGHTING PROTECTION USING LAF-M SEMINAR REPORT 2022

INDEX

Contents Page no

1. INTRODUCTION 2

2. LIGHTNING 3

3. THE LFA PRINCIPLE 5

4. LFA-M 6

5. DESIGN OF LFA-M 7

6. HOW DOES LFA-M PROTECT THE OVERHEAD LINE 8

7. LFA INSULATION TUBE (LFA-IT) 9

8. LFA LOOP 11

9. ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES 13

10. FURURE SCOPE 14

11. CONCLUSION 15

12.BIBILIOGRAPHY 16

DEPT of Electronics Engineering MPTC 1

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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

A new long flashover arrester model has been developed. It is designated as LFA-M.
It offers great number of technical and economical advantages. The important feature
of this modular long flashover arrester (LFA-M) is that it can be applied for lightning
protection of overhead distribution line against both induced over voltages and direct
lightning strokes. The induced over voltages can be counteracted by installing a
single arrester on an overhead line support (pole). For the protection of lines against
direct lightning strokes, the arresters are connected between the poles and all of the
phase conductors in parallel with the insulators.

A new simple, effective and inexpensive method for lightning protection of medium
voltage overhead distribution lines is using long flashover arresters (LFA). A new long
flashover arrester model has been developed. It is designated as LFA-M. It offers a great
number of technical and economical advantages.

The important feature of this modular long flashover arrester (LFA-M) is that it can be
applied for lightning protection of overhead distribution line against both induced
overvoltages and direct lightning strokes. The induced overvoltages can be counteracted by
installing a single arrester on an overhead line support (pole). For the protection of lines
against direct lightning strokes, the arresters are connected between the poles and all of the
phase conductors in parallel with the insulators.

Lightning is an electrical discharge between cloud and the earth, between clouds or
between the charge centers of the same cloud. Lightning is a huge spark that takes place
when clouds are charged to at a high potential with respect to earth objects (e.g. overhead
lines) or neighboring clouds where the dielectric strength of the neighboring medium(air) is
destroyed.

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CHAPTER2
LIGHTNING

WHAT IS LIGHTNING?
Lightning is an electrical discharge between cloud and the earth,
between clouds or between the charge centers of the same cloud.
Lightning is a huge spark and thattake place when clouds are charged to at
a high potential with respect to earth object (e.g. overhead lines)
or neighboring cloud that the dielectric strength of the neighboring medium
(air) is destroyed.

TYPES OF LIGHTNING STROKES

There are two main ways in which the lightning may strike the power
system. They are

1. Direct stroke

2. Indirect stroke

DIRECT STROKE

In direct stroke, the lightning discharge is directly from the cloud to

the an overheadline. From the line, current path may be over
the insulators down to the pole to theground. The over voltage set up due to
the stroke may be large enough to flashover this path directly to
the ground. The direct stroke can be of two types

1. Stroke A

2. Stroke B

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In stroke A, the lightning discharge is from the cloud to the subject

equipment(e.g. overhead lines). The cloud will induce a charge of opposite
sign on the tall object. When the
potential between the cloud and line exceed
the breakdownvalue of air,the lightning discharge occurs between the cloud
and the line.
In stroke B the lightning discharge occurs
on the overhead line as the result of stroke A between the clouds. There are
three clouds P,Q and R having positive, negative and positive
charge respectively. Charge on the cloud Q is bound by cloud R.If the
cloud P shift too nearer to cloud Q, Then lightning discharge will
occurbetween them and charges on both these cloud disappear quickly.
The result is that charge on cloud R
suddenly become free and it then discharges rapidly to earth,
ignoring tall object.

INDIRECT STROKE

It result from eletrostatically induced charges on the conductors due to

the presence of charged cloud. If a positively charged cloud is above the
line and induces a negative charge on the line by electrostatic induction.
This negative charge however will be only on that portion on the line right
under the cloud and the portion of the line away from it will
be positively charged. The induced positive charge leaks slowly to earth.
When the cloud discharges to earth or to another cloud, negative charge on
the wire is isolated as it can not flow quickly to earth over the insulator.
The result is that negative charge rushes along the line is both directions in
the form of traveling wave. Majority of the surges in a transmission lines
are caused by indirect lightning stroke.

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CHAPTER 3

THE LFA PRINCIPLE

When a lightning surge gets to an insulator, the insulator may

flashover depending on the overvoltage value and insulation level of the
line. Probability of power arc flow (PAF) depends on many parameters:
nominal voltage of the line Unom, length of the flashover pathL, moment at
which lightning stroke occurred, lightning current magnitude, line
parameters, etc. It was found that the main factor, which determines the
probability of PAF, is the mean gradient of operational voltage along the
flashover path.

E = Uph/L.
Where Uph = Unom /√3 =phase voltage, Kv.
L = length of flashover.

The probability of PAF sharply decreases with a decrease in E. An

analysis of available data on spark over discharge transition to PAF
concluded that for E=7 to 10 kV/m probability of PAF is practically zero.
The flashover length, L is greater for lines with wooden structures rather
than steel or concrete structures, because wooden Cross-arm increases the
flashover path. As a result probability of PAF for wooden structures is
sufficiently lower than for steel or concrete supports. From the short
analysis presented above, it is clear that it is possible to improve the
protection against lightning by increasing the length of lightning flashover
path. The suggested LFA accomplishes this principle. The LFA's length
may be several times greater than that of an insulator (string, etc.). Due to a
special inner structure the LFA impulse flashover voltage is lower than that
of the insulator and when subjected to lightning overvoltage the LFA will
flashover before the insulator.

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CHAPTER 4

LFA-M

▪ Long flashover arrester are those devices which capture the high voltage
spark resulting out of lightening.

▪ “M” indicates that LFA-M is for the protection of medium overhead

transmission lines.

▪ It can be applied for lightning protection of overhead distribution line

against both induced over voltages and direct lightning strokes

▪ The induced over voltages can be counteracted by installing a single

arrester on an overhead line support(pole)

▪ For the protection of lines against direct lightning strokes the arrester are
connected between the pole and all of the phase conductors in parallel
with the insulator.

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CHAPTER 5
DESIGN LFA-M

An LFA-M arrester consist of two cable like pieces. Each cable piece has a
semi conductive core of resister R.

The cable piece are arranged so as to from three flash over modules 1,2,3 as
show in figure semi conductive core of upper piece, whose resistance is R.

Fig 1 LFA electric schematic

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CHAPTER 6
HOW DOES LFA-M PROTECT THE OVERHEAD LINE

First , a lightning impulses a spark over of the spark gap.

Next , the semiconducting core of the upper cable piece whose resistance,
carries the high potential to the surface of the lower piece at middle.
Similarly the semiconducting core of the lower piece of the same
resistance applies the low potential 0 to the surface of the upper piece,
also at its center.

Thus the total voltage is applied to each flashover module at the same
moment, and all the three flashover modules 1,2and 3 are assured
condition for simultaneous initiation of creeping discharges which with
respective modules flashover, develop a single long flashover channel.

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CHAPTER 7
LFA INSULATION TUBE (LFA-IT)

Under overvoltage conditions first sparkover gap S flashes over and then a
discharge channel travels along the tube until it reaches the line conductor. This
LFA application is very simple. The arrester consists only of an insulation tube
and a sparkover horn. The insulation tube must be made of an atmospheric
exposure-resistant material and have an adequate impulse strength.Sparkover
horns are necessary for insuring flashovers of LFA-Insulation Tubes placed at
different supports (please see Application Guidelines section below).

Besides the sparkover horns protect the line insulators from lightning
overvoltages and PAF currents.When any apparatus, e.g. metal oxide arresters,
are mounted in large numbers in parallel with line insulators the operating
reliability performance of an overhead line is inevitably lowered owing to
possible failures of the added devices.

Unlike this general case, installation of LFA insulation tubes, far

from lowering the operational reliability of the line, improves its reliability
performance under both normal operating conditions and any electrical stresses
owing to an enhanced strength of the line's major insulation. With an adequately
selected thickness of its wall the insulation tube can equally well withstand the
total operating voltage and all switching and quasi-stationary overvoltages.

Fig 2 LFA INSULATION TUBE (LFA-IT)

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Components
1- Power line conductor

2- Insulation tube

3- Metal tube clamp

4- Insulator

5- structure

6- Flashover channel

7- Sparkover horn

S- Sparkover gap

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CHAPTER 8
LFA LOOP

Figure presents an LFA installed on a distribution pole. A piece of a steel rod

covered with insulation is bent in a loop and connected to the pole with a clamp.
tube is placed over the insulated loop in its middle part. The metallic tube forms
with the line conductor a sparkover air gap, S. The loop is at the same potential
as the pole. Due to a relatively large capacitance between the metallic tube and
the metallic loop the tube is practically at the same potential as the pole.
Therefore an overvoltage which appears between the line conductor and the
pole will be also applied between the metallic tube and the line conductor. If the
overvoltage is large enough, the gap S will be sparked over and the overvoltage
will be applied between the metallic tube and the insulated loop to its insulation.

Due to the overvoltage a surface flashover develops from the metallic tube to
one or both ends of the insulated loop and then to the pole thus completing the
discharge circuit.

LFA LOOP
LIGHTING PROTECTION USING LAF-M SEMINAR REPORT 2022

(a) Distribution Line

b) Long Flashover Arrester

1 – insulated steel loop;

2 – clamp;

3- steel cross-arm;

4 – metallic tube,

5 – power line conductor;

6 – flashover channel;

7 – insulator;

8 – structure

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CHAPTER 9
ADVANTAGES

Less weight

Extend the working life of high voltage circuit breaker.

Protect electric networks against arc overvoltage’s

Are not stressed by operational voltage and do not require maintenance .

DISADVANTAGES

It can't withstand very high over voltage.

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CHAPTER 10
FUTURE SCOPE

If the number of flashover modules increases by increasing the cable

piece this LFA-M can be used for lightning protection of very high
voltage line.

When the modules increases the total arrester stressing is distributed these
modules also. Then it can withstand very high over voltage.

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CHAPTER 11
CONCLUSIONS

Long Flashover Arresters were developed to protect overhead distribution lines

against lightning overvoltage and conductor-burn and have been successfully
used in Russia 10 kV lines. In order to check their dielectric and operating
performances considering their possible application in 13.8 kV overhead lines,
laboratory tests were carried out under high voltage and impulse current
conditions. Based on the technical information and test results presented here,
the following conclusions can be drawn:

a. Long Flashover Arresters of Loop (LFA-L) and Modular (LFA-M) types had
a good performance in the dielectric, lightning impulse, radio interference,
power frequency and power arc quenching tests.

b. LFA-Ls can protect overhead 13.8 kV lines against induced overvoltages.

LFA-Ls are recommended to be installed one arrester per pole with phase
interlacing.

c. LFA-Ms can protect overhead 13.8 kV lines against overvoltages of direct

lightning strokes.LFA-Ms should be mounted on the pole in parallel with each
line insulator.

The LFA-M is simple ,low weight and convenient apparatus.

To protect a line against induced over voltage; a single arrester must be

mounted on a pole

The voltage-time characteristic of this modular arrester assure reliable

protection of medium voltage overhead line against both induced lightning
strokes.

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CHAPTER 12
BIBILIOGRAPHY

▪ Principles of power system by V.K Metha , Rohit Metha

▪ IEEE transaction on power delivery vol.18

▪ G. V. Podporkin, A. D. Sivaev “An Electric Power Transmission Line

With Protection Devices Against Lightning Over voltages.

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