Protection Strokes

\1

from

Direct

Lightning

with

the Aid

~f Lightning

Conductors
.b y r'Y Dl

Kt+ftNNft
31.1

General

Information

The lightning conductors as a means of protection from direct li,ghtning strokes were used much before the beginning of the present era, but the)" aquired \vide recognition only in the middle of XVIII century as a result of the \vork of Benjamin Franklin and Lomonosov. Each lightning conductor consists of the lightning receiver projccting abo\-e the object to be protected, the earthing grid and the conductor \vhich connects the receiver \vith the earthing grid and is meant to carry the lightning current a\\'ay safely to ground. There are t\\.o different ty.p~s of lightning conductor: the ligh ..ning masts and the ground wires.
Good earthing of lightning conductors is an essential condition for reliable protection, since in case ofa stroke in a badly earthed lightning conductor, \"ery high voltages, capable Ofclusing a breakdo.\vn of insulating medium bet,'r"een the lightning COllductor and the object under-protection, are poss:I)le. In the beginning, before largescale use of the lightning conductors (XVIII century), ".hen serious attention was ll()t paid to the \"a!u(~ of resistance of the lightning conductor, incidents of fire caused by lightning discharges in the lightning such cases. conductors ,\.ere llOt rare which, thus, plaved a harmful role in . The pro\.ision of a reliable electrical connection bet\veen a.lI parts of the li,ghtning conductor is cqually important, sinc/? during the passage of a current through the place of bad contacts, an intensive arcing, \,"hicll can also cause fire, takes place. The protective action of lightning conductors is based on the fact that charg"cs, stored Oll its tip in the leader stage of lightning:

424
j
{i' .

~ ~'

~ "

'1 ,

The leader canal can descend to earth along different tories. Suppose that rhe point of orientation of lightning along a horizonraI line, which lies i:tl the same plane as rhe lightning -f &0 conductor, as shown in Fig. 31.1. When this point is siruated directly above the lightning conductor, the discharge must take place in the lighrning conductor. However, in, pr?portion t? the ?isplacement of the pOInt of orIentatIon from the hghtning conductor the probability of lighrning discharge to ground increases. That position will be critical ,,vh en t h e bIeakdown \io,"rages to the . ' " 1 1 i I j: ./

trajecmoves ,-;q,,/ I ! ~1

-.-/

~'b'

(I

I .1. I -r ~~~~~ ..7 ,,~ 0;1 FIg. .31.1. ExperImentt;!'1 determInatIon of the protectIve zone of a lightning mast.

~I
: ~

t:t;

lig"hrning conductor Ji~a1 and to 6'1'ound V d2 are same. \Vith further displacement of the point of ')rientation, lightning discharge mainly strikes the ground. If the object to be protected is located near the lightning conductor, for a definite height of the lightning conductor the voltage bet\'r"een the li.ghtning canal and the object will always be greater than the breakdown voltage either to the lightning cof!.ductor or to ground ;:;nd the object will be protected from the direct lightning stroke.
'.."I
..>-,.'

II

II

426

High

Voltage

Engineering

The impulse spark discharge is used as a model of lightning. Its development in long gaps takes place in two stages the leadel' and the main stages. It is in this way, qualitatively identicai with the lightning.

lightning. In experiments ,:onauctea in the Soviet Union by A.A. .\kopyan, for lightning rods of a hc:ght upto 30 ill, B/h was taken to be equal to ..1 20, and for ground wires Hlh= 10, IV51' I\ .-' For lightning conductors jf height !1. ~ 'I -1. -"'--- -y---above 30 ill, the height of o:-ientation was taken to be constant (E=600 m for lightning masts and H = 300 fOl. ~ -~ ~ Fig. 31.2. Diagram for the ex- ground wires). The values t:.:.<en can~ perimental determiTlation of the ; not be rigorously justified, :'1o\:\'ever, protective zone; I\~G-Impulse there is a: basjs to assume l:.at their Voltage Genet"ator; 1-electrode jmitating the end of the leader : use gives somewhat lower trotective canal at the height oforientatior. ; zones, thus ensuring a defini:~ margin
of lightning; 2-model of the lightning conductor (mast) ; 3- -of grounded metallic plane.

/ ! i

safety,

421 lightning mast. For each location her of discharges is produced. of the electrode, 1'he experiment a definite numshows that for-

~i-Y:h.11~ Fig. 31'3. Determination of the protective of a lightning mast on its model.

zone

R=3.5 h, all discharges strike the lightning mast. For Rl some-what greater than R, a part of the discharges strikes the gj"ound. During this, the discharges deflect very much away from the v-ertical and strike the ground at a distance r> 1.6h. The quantity ris the radius of the protective zone at the ground le\"el" The dislance R is called the radius of zone of 100% strokes to the light-ning mast" The protective zone at a height hz is determined with the help of a mast of height h'J'which models the object to be protected. The electrode and the model of the object which are initially situated in the same plane, are shifted with respect to each other and in relation to the model of the lightning mast. For each mutual location of the electrodes a definite number of the discharges is conducted. As a result, the maximllm distance rz between the model of the object and the lightning mas,t at which the model of object is not struck by the discharge, is found. This distance r;e is the radius of protective zone of the model of lightning mast at a height h.1:' Greater the number of discharges for each location of the electrodes, greater the accuracy of determination of the radius ofthe protective zone and smaller the probability of a stroke to the model of object located in the protective zone of the model of lightni n E!, mast. Usually, protective zones are determined with a probability of stroke to the model of object of 0.1 %. If the lightning conductor is not a lightning mast but a grotlnd \\-ire, thf' electrode and the ob.ject are shifted along the horizontal in a plane perpendicular to the ground wire (Fig. 31.4). Experience sho\vs that in this case the dimension of protective zone is b= 1.2h, and the dimension of the zone of 100% ~troke to the model of ground

428

B1 ! B~2h-l

::r I

,~
~

! G}~.~ Wire , i ! -t:

\ \ \ ~-:i;d-1-

{ 0
~

0 0' 02 W: '4... W ;~
2 ...
~
SfrOr\f\ '3!'oul\.j ~

, , ,, I- \ \ ~' -\ \ \
"

-t:" ~

"

Fig. 31.6. l:>rot(.'ctiv a ]igl\tning mast .

ZL)11C a of

"x=

I + It-!.

, (h~h.t'),

(31"1)

Protection

from

Direct

Lightning

Strokes

429-

In order to be protected from direct lightning strokes, the object must be fully located \vithin the cone like space which represents the protective zor.e of the lightning mast. Since during experimental determination of protective zones, a number of departures from real conditions are permitted, there is
a.

.. ~
2

~~
.// / / I I '-

/ l' -I ~
---

11
/

-=

,
---,~p~~ " .:: 0.7.~ ~ I-.~ I

~ L-,..5~

00',/'

\ t+,e

CTc)~!o

~e,,~io.'

0!=

PTote~tivt , 'Z.one at ~ .'eiyr

M~

'ig. 31.7. Constl'uctil1!1 of tho prvtt:otiVf:: zone of tt siligll lightning mast. 1-simplified construction. ~ -protcctivc zo lO constructed from Eq. (31.1)

no need to make use of the accurate boundaries of protective zones, which become specially complicated in case of protection by two lio.htning roasts. It is possible to make use of the simplified constructi~n shown ill Fig, 31-7, The generator surface enclosing the protective zone can be represented by a broken line, One of the sections of this broken line ab is a part of the straigh t line joining tile tip of the lightning conductor and a point Oll tIle surface'of

431

constructed on thrce points: two of them are the tips of the lightning masts and-the third is situated mid-way between the lightning masts
'0 IT

i
~ kb ~T~~7

L
\

.
'Ro~,

:
' -~

",y

~
"I
, " ":

J-:~+- ,
cooS$6ecfloo -plOtectlw

~.~ ~Ct'0'1 > pft)tec!,V( "0 /)1".,j 0-0

at " level hs

Of z~

Fig. 31-S. Protective zone of two lightning masts. at a heigllt equal to kiJ- Cro3s.section of the protective zone in a plane perpendicular to the plane of Fig. 31-8 (shown on the left) is constructed in t!le same way as for a single lightning mast of height equal to h:; (cross-section along 0-0 in Fig- 31'8). The external part of the protecti\-e zone of the lightning masts is determined in tlle same ,\'ay as for single lightning masts,
For t,\-O lightning as
ho=-ha

masts of height

k>30

m, point ho is determined

-;;-::'\\"here

p -vh-

5-5
(31.5) cross-sections 0-0 are similarly

'The radii of protecti\-e reduced b~. p times-

zone in the

-X

r
..r. I ...

2
i I

Ji;j(
! 3 / --I
/ / J la~~

1
I

! ---1--

~a '1 Fig. :31.~J.Protccti,"ozono of two lightning masts ofdifferont heights.

Construction clifTcrent heights of protective zones js shown in Fig. 31.9. for two lightning masts of

Protection

from

Direct

Lightning

Strokes

433

The protective zones at a level hz for three masts are shown in Figs, 31'10 and 31'11. .

and four lightning

1-1 . -.

0.,

,~:. 1--

, I

L. '0 'f- ()o

To:x 2. ~

I~ 'Y

/~-

~-

3. ..r.-

.t

For an arbitrary location of the lightning masts the condition stated abJve m'.l)t b~ sep3.r.1tely verifi~d for each group of three lightning masts near one allother .
If the height of lightnin~ masts of protection at a level h,z ,\"ill be : D~8(h-h~)p. exceeds 30 m, the condition (3!.7)

The complex of an outdoor distribution installation of 110 KV to be protected from direct lightning strokes is sho\vn in Fig. 31.12. On the basis of trial calculations the places of location of the li,g'htning masts on the gantr)" of 11 m height are chosen. After the protectivc zones fOl'lned b~" each group of three or four lightning masts are calculated. We shall examine the protective zone of lightning masts 1,3 alld 4. The diameter of. the circle passing through the tips of these lightning masts is D=30 m. The condition of full protection of the area of triangle by the 1ig h tning rods 1,3 and 4 is D~8 Consequently, minimum must be : ha. formed

active height of these iightning masts

6.3 m

50 hIJ==8

435

hence the total height of lightning mast5 must be h= 11+7.5= 18-5 m. For installation of lightning masts, ,gantries of Ilm. are used. Gantries A and B of height 82 m are situated outside the triangles 1,3, 4 and 2,4,5, therefore it is essential to verify whether they enter in the protective zones formed by the lightning masts 1-3 and 2-5. The radius of the protective zone of .the lightning masts of height h=18.5 m at a level ofh;c=8'2 according to (3!.2) is
\
, I , ,
rx=I"5x 18.5

!-o:-s- X 1~

8.2

)= 12'4 m.
between

The ma."'{imum height of the protective zone in lightning masts 1-3 or 2-5 is determined from (3!.4) as
ho=18'S-

43 =12'3 7

ill.

Dimensions of the protective zone in between the lightning rods at a height h~= 8-2 m according to (31-2) is
r;&=I'SxI2"3

8.2
O.8XI2.3

=3m.

The construction sho\vs that gantries A and B fully enter in tfle protective zones of the lightning m'lsts 1-3 and 2-5 respectively.

-.1 ..$:' N C

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\\/,Yt'

4e
-C

T;~J

1-1 tr~j
I

I
-=;i

/I,

t".Sh

l...f

-1.~h )f

--~J

CTO~~ 5ectl~ O~ P1"o~ec.tivf ZOt\f ak a h~,9h~ h'"$.

Fig,

31'13.

Protoctivo

zone of a ground wire.

4~6
( c ) Protective Zones

High
of

Voltage
Ground

Engineering
Wires

The prvtective zone ora ground wire is shown in Fig. 31.13. The cross-section of the protective zone on a plane perpendicular to the ground wire is constructed in the same way as for a Jig htning mast with the only difference that breadth of the zone at the ground plane for a ground wire suspended at a height 'l,~30 m equals. I .2k. Half the breadth of the protective zone at a level h~> -t k is determined as
b:t

O.6h
-h

h-:- )

(31.B)

h;J)

2h

1-

ha1
-o-:-87i.

(3!"9}

It was pointed out above that in the experiments on models for a displacement of the electrode a distance B=2h, all the discharges strike the ground wire. Evidently, if -t\VO .~round wires are to be used as lightning conductors, for a -distance 19=4h between them, the point ~ituated on .ground surface midway between the ground wires will not be struck by lightning. .If the distance bet\\'een t\\"O ground wires S<4h situated midway bet\\'een the ground wires at a level of ~'1 h,o=h- 4 will be protected from lightning strokes. The external part of the protective zone for two ground wires is determined in the same ,vay as for a single ground \\,ire. The internal part is bounded by a surface which in the cross.section petpendicular to the ground wire gives an arc of a circle. This arc of the circle call be constructed through three points : one of them is ho and other t,\"o the ground wires (Fig. 31.14). In electrical installations ground wires are mainly used for protection of conductors of transmission lines. Average suspension of conductors (h:)is greater than 2/3 the height of sion of the ground ,vires (h) ; usually h:/h is about 0.8. For wires, instead of the term protective zones, the term is us(~d. Protective angle of a ground wire is the angle vertical line passing through a ground wire and the conductor and the ground ,vire and lying on the plane to the conductor axis (Fig. 31.15).
region In a single lightning mast ofa height h=30 m of average intensity of lightning activity, direct

the point

(31.10)

438 An altogether different situation exists during the protection of transmission lines by ground wires which are very often struck by lightning di~charges due to their considerable lengths. For example, 500 KV lines between volgagrad and Moscow and Kubishev and Moscow of lengths of the order of 1000 km are struck by lightning not less than 200 times during a lightning season. Therefore, for transmission lines the probability of protection with the help of ground ... wlres attaIns great Importance. On account of the approximate nature of modelling of lightning in a laboratory, it does not seem possible to determine these probabilities experimentally and the only method is to generalL~ the experience of operation of actual lines having different tower heights and different protective angles. The experience of operation shows that an angle of protection of(X=3lo corresponding to Fig. 31.13 ensures an acceptable reliability of protection; however, in practice, it is attempted to use an angle of the order of (X=20 --25.
31.3.
Permissible tected and Dis.tances the Lightning Beiween the Object to be pro-

Conductor

The object to be protected must fully lie within the protective zone of lightning conductor. Besides this, it must this distance definite adistance from the lightning conductors. Ifbe located at . too small flashovers from parts of the lightning conductor to object to be protected can take place during lightning strokes. The lightning protection equipment which include" conductors, current conductors and earthing device have as well as inductance. A coniderable portion of the active is formed by the earthing grid. The conductors for carrying lightning current to earth hehave like inductances in the sense, the value of which depends, first of all, on the length current carrying conductor . Lightning current, while passing through a gives rise to a voltage drop in the resistance of earthing inductance of the current carrying conductor . arid

For an oblique.angled form of the front of lightning maximum potential at a point of the lightning conductor , a distance l from the earthing grid (Fig. 31'16) will be equal to :

v l=I,'\1R+L
where

) d,ift-f , dt av

IM-amplitude (,fthe lightning current, R -resistance of the earthing grid during flo\v of lightning current, L -inductance of the section of current carrying of length l measured from the earthing grid point under consideration,

Protection
~
dt

from

Direct

Lightning

Strokes

439

,f y

-average

steepnessof the front of lightning current.

av

h
.:7 :>

:1
s ~s

~-

..-

.r

~
~A"""//?

}-

I
~

"

.e a

s:7~:':~'~':: " \ ~ II 5 I. 3~--

I:

~ c
I ~

Fig. 31.16. For the determination of the permissible distAnce bet\veen a lightning mast and the object to be protected.

9 ~s e y ti a
r,

For the calculation of the potential 1.11is taken as 150 kA (probability

of a lightning

conductor, kA/~ sec.

0.30;0) and (~1)=30

For metallic lightning conductar3 of lattice constructio3, and similarly for separately laid current carrying conductors, the specific inductance is approxim:ltcly L = l' 7 I"H/ M. In this manner, .for conditions of calculations we have : V l= 150 R+50 l, KV. (31.11) The amplitudes of voltage in the lightning conductor happens to be very high, for instance, for Ri= 10 ohm and at a distance l= 10 .i1f from the earthing grid, we have V~=2000 KV. The potential of the earthing grid of the lightning tllis is
v z
I-,IR=1500 KV.

le lt

conductor

during

Evidelltly, in order that there would not b~ any flashover on tIle object to b~ protected, the strength of the insulatioll between the object and the lightning conductor must be higher th~n the \"alue of voltage on the lightning conductor .

440

If the objec! happens to be a conductor, suspended on a string of insulators \vhich, with its other end, is attached to a cross arm, it is necessary to sat~5fythe condition V11>-150 R+50 where TT fZ-is the impulse flasho\er la tors. ~, (30.12) voltage of the string of insuco:'lductor are

In the case ...;~en the object and the lightning separated by an a::- gap of length S, the condition .S'~ ~ must be satisfied.

per

Taking the \-alue of the permissible average intensity electric field in air gaps E JiB'= 500 KV /M ,ve get : 8:>0.3 Rj+O"ll, 111.

of the {31013)

I f it is essent:c11 prevent flashover from the earthing grid of to th~ lightning cJn:iuctor to the object situated on ground: it is essential that the distanc~ between them in earth is :"! 1lVR .Se~ E
" 1!er

(31'14)

The perffi;issible average intensity of electric field in earth is Ep,r~30J KVjM. With the lightning current 1.11of 150 kA used in calculations, Vv-e \...ill get the condition Se>O.5 Ri j11. 31.4
Speciatities Conductors

{31'15)

of

Construc"tional

Structures of objects to be protected must, where it is possible," be used as supports for fastening the current carrying parts of lightning conductors. For example, in outdoor distributions substations of 110 KV and abo\"e, lightning conductors can be mounted on the metallic gantries me;:tnt for supporting the busIJars and the ga.ntt'ies themselves can be used as current carriers connecting the lightning conductors with the earthing grids. Separately mounted lightning conductors can similarly be made metallic: from steel tubes, if height of lightning .conductors does exceed 20 m, or in the fOr,Jl of lattice constructions, if height is than 20 m. Howe\.er, lig"htning conductors made on crete or wooden supports happen to be cheaper (for a height 20 m). The reinforcement of cement concret~ supports is current carriers; alon,~ wooden supports special current conductors carrying lightning current to ground are l1Sed. recommended to construct lightning conductors in the form of supporting constructions \vith out (stay wires) guys.

~ ~

542

High

Voltage

Engineering

tempera ture range of 0-400C can be taken to be eq ual to p = 3. 1O ohm cm. For this data we shall get the temperature rise as
t o-~
-82.

.~ steel conductor of cross-section S = 25 mm2 will be heated h\, lightning current in all to 215C. Such a heating is fully admissibl~. even in the case when. the current carrier is mounted alang timber. Ho\\.ever, for increasing the mechanical strength and the life span. steel conductors of 50 mm'J cross-section are recommended (round steel of 8 mill. dia).

For protection from corrosion lightning conductors must hf:" painted or zinc plated. Use of multi-conductor steel wire is not recommended from the point of vie\v of corrosion.