ENG631 WS 11 Risk Assessment of PV System
1. Familiarise yourself with the documentation provided on LMS on the lightning
protection system of Bldg. 220.
a. Describe the air termination and the parts of the external lightning protection
system on Bldg. 220.
b. Describe the components used as down-conductors.
c. Describe the earthing system of the building.
d. Review Section 3.6, 4.6.5 and Appendix G of AS/NZS5033:2021 (Standards
Australia 2014). Are array exposed-conductive parts required to be earthed
for lightning protection? If yes, how is this implemented?
e. review AS 1768 Risk Assessment for Lightning Protection xls sheet and discuss
how to find information and how to fill it.
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(The following examples 2-5 are adapted from examples by Haeberlin (2012))
2. Earth potential rise relative to distant earth.
Consider the lightning protection system shown in Fig 6.8, p404 (Haeberlin 2012).
Assume the earthing resistance RE to be in the range of 1-10 . Calculate the range
of earth potential rises for the range of peak lightning currents discussed in the
lecture.
Fig. 6.8, p404 (Haeberlin 2012) Earth potential rise following a lightning strike. The
lightning current i flows through the earthing resistance RE, leading to the max.
voltage drop Vmax=imax RE (maximum potential rise Vmax with respect to distant
earth). Conductors leading into the affected structure are connected to distant earth
and in the absence of equipotential bonding are exposed to this voltage rise.
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3. Lightning current distribution in a house with lightning protection measures as
shown in Fig. 6.9, p405 (Haeberlin 2012).
A galvanised iron water pipe, a four core cable (240/415V) and a two core telephone
line are connected to a house with a lightning protection system, designed for
Protection Level III, which can safely discharge a maximum current of 100kA. Assume
that approximately half this lightning current will be dissipated by the earthing
resistance and the remaining half will equally distribute over the three service
connections to the building. Calculate the maximum expected currents in each
conductor and in each core of the connected cables.
Fig. 6.9, p405 (Haeberlin 2012) Equipotential bonding installation. All metallic
conductors leading into the building are connected to the building’s ground
installation/earth termination either directly (if there are no corrosion or operational
issues) or indirectly via surge arrestors. In the event of a lightning strike then each of
the conductors entering the building will carry a portion of the lightning current.
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4. Assume an installation arrangement forming a loop as shown in Fig. 6.11 p. 409
(Haeberlin 2012). The down conductor, which conducts the entire lightning current iA
has a length l = 7m and a radius r = 3mm. The PV installation DC cable connected to
the down conductor is located at distance a=10m. (This is a worst case scenario,
conductor loops that include sections of a down conductor exhibit particularly high
mutual inductance.)
Calculate:
a. The value of the mutual inductance Ma.
b. The maximum induced voltage v with (di/dt)max=100kA/s.
Fig.6.11 p. 409 (Haeberlin 2012) Mutual inductance between a lightning down
conductors and a rectangular conductor loop that also includes part of the down
conductor.
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5. Consider an PV installation arrangement with a loop not connected to the down
conductor shown in Fig. 6.13.
c. Calculate the value of the mutual inductance Mb. and the maximum induced
voltage v with (di/dt)max=100kA/s for l = 5m, b = 3m and d=1m.
d. Repeat a. for an installation with two cables installed parallel to the down
conductor, l = 10m, b = 0.01m and d=0.1m.
Fig. 6.13, p. 411 (Haeberlin 2012). Mutual inductance between a down conductor and a
rectangular loop of length l, with width b and at distance d from the down conductor.
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6. Figure 1 below shows three PV module installations, each in close proximity of a
down conductor of a lightning protection system, where l > d 2 > d1 > b2 > b1. Assume
a lightning current, iLightning, is flowing through the lightning protection system down
conductor as shown in Figure 2.
a) Which configuration, (a), (b), or (c), is expected to experience the lowest induced
voltage and why?
b) Which configuration, (a), (b), or (c), is expected to experience the highest induced
voltage and why?
l l l l
ILightning ILightning ILightning
d1
d1 d1
d2
b1 b2 b1 b1
(a) (b) (c)
Figure 1 PV installations
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7. You have been asked to assess a residential roof-top PV system design brief for a
house without lightning protection system. The design brief asks for the following
protection measures against over-voltages:
• positive and negative dc cables and associated earthing conductors shall be
tightly bundled together to avoid the creation of wiring loops;
• surge protection devices are to be fitted as close as practical to the inverter and
the PV array, and
• the PV main dc cable shall be installed in an earthed metallic conduit.
Comment on these measures and discuss if the implementation of these measures is
justified for a PV installation on a residential building in Perth.
References
Haeberlin, H. (2012). Protecting PV Installations Against Lightning. Photovoltaics System Design and
Practice. Chichester, John Wiley & Sons: 395-485.
Standards Australia (2021). AS/NZS5033 Installation and safety requirements for photovoltaic (PV)
arrays. Sydney, Standards Australia.
The material is originally provided by Dr Martina Calais.
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