Active Lightning Rod One of the important points in lightning protection is the presence of external lightning protection systems. With external lightning protection systems, protection is provided against the physical effects of lightning. When external lightning protection systems are mentioned, methods such as active lightning rods, Faraday cages, passive air terminals, catenary wire methods, etc. come to mind. Active lightning rods provide a certain protection radius from the point where they are installed. Active lightning rods are not included in the IEC 62305 standard; they are defined in the French lightning protection standard NFC 17-102, which is a local standard. Active lightning rods attract lightning by emitting ions. This is their basic operating principle. Active lightning rods provide circular protection.
Active lightning rods are commonly used for lightning protection.
Active Lightning Rod Installation
The active lightning rod installation basically consists of 3 components. These three main components are the active lightning rod head, the down conductor, and the grounding system. The active lightning rod must be installed at the highest point of the facility it will protect. The grounding of the lightning rod installation must also be done very well. A commonly overlooked issue is the lightning rod down conductor. The down conductor must be routed using the shortest distance while preserving the S separation. Otherwise, a fire risk may arise for structures.
Proper grounding is also of great importance in lightning rod installations.
Active Lightning Rod Calculation
The protection radius Rk of an active lightning rod depends on the Δt value measured in laboratories, the protection levels I, II, or III specified in the lightning strike risk table (BNFC10-102) arranged by calculation method, and the height difference between the air terminal and the area to be protected. The active lightning rod calculation is made based on this formula.
You can contact our center for active lightning rod calculations.
Active Lightning Rod and Surge Arrester
Even if you use an active lightning rod in your facility, you must use surge arresters to protect electrical systems. A common mistake is assuming that the lightning rod protects the entire facility. However, the lightning rod provides only physical protection. Surge arresters must absolutely be used for the protection of electronic systems, panels, CCTV systems, LED and lighting systems, etc. In the video below, you can see the use of surge arresters in a facility equipped with an external lightning protection system.