LIGHTNING PROTECTION

(SS555:2010)
Specialist Diploma (M&E Coordination)

Dr Fadzli Hassan
B.Eng (Hons), PhD (Mechanical Engineering)

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 SCOPE OF SS555: 2010
Lesson I (26th Mar 2014)
• Part I: General Principles
• Part II: Risk Management

Lesson II (02nd Apr 2014)

• Part III: Physical Damage to Structures and Life Hazard
• Part IV: Electrical and Electronic Systems Within Structures
• Tutorial questions
 PART I:
GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF LIGHTNING
 PART I: SCOPE
• The mechanics of lightning
• Damage due to lightning
• Need and economic convenience for lightning protection
• Protection measures
• Basic criteria for protection of structures and services
THE MECHANICS OF LIGHTNING
- Lightning strokes are the visible discharge of static electrically-
accumulated in storm clouds created by meteorological
conditions.

- Lightning is formed as a result of a natural buildup of electrical

charge separation in storm clouds.

- The bottom of the cloud is negatively-charged and will induce an

equal and opposite positive charge on the earth’s surface under
the cloud.
 MECHANICS: DOWNWARD STROKE
 The Earth’s atmosphere contains drifting pockets of ionized air, which will
also take on a charge of opposite polarity to the cloud base.
 The presence of such a pocket near the cloud can create a potential
difference enough to cause an electrical breakdown of the air.
 A downward leader stroke develops from the cloud.
 The positively and negatively charged leaders proceed in opposite
directions, positive upwards within the cloud, the negative towards
the earth.
 Both ionic channels proceed, in their respective directions, in a
number of successive spurts
 Each leader "pools“ at the leading tips, shooting out one or more
new leaders, momentarily pooling again to concentrate charged
ions, then shooting out another leader. Leaders often split, forming
branches in a fashion similar to a tree.
 MECHANICS: UPWARD STROKE
• When a stepped leader approaches the ground, the presence of
opposite charges on the ground enhances the strength of
the electric field.

• The electric field is strongest on grounded objects whose tops are

closest to the base of the thundercloud, such as trees and tall
buildings.

• If the electric field is strong

enough, a positively charged
ionic channel, called a positive
or upward streamer, can
develop from these points
SOURCES OF LIGHTNING DAMAGE

S1: Flashes to the structure

S2: Flashes near to the structure

S3: Flashes to a service (e.g. power lines) connected to the

structure

S4: Flashes near to a service connected to the structure

TYPES OF LIGHTNING DAMAGE
D1: injury of living beings due to touch and step voltages

D2: Physical damages (fire, explosion…) due to lightning

current effects including sparking

D3: failure of internal systems due to lightning electromagnetic

pulse (LEMP)
DAMAGE TO A STRUCTURE
Lightning affecting a structure can cause damage to:

- The structure itself

- Its occupants and contents (including internal systems)

- Surroundings of the structure

- The local environment

 DAMAGE TO A SERVICE
Lightning does not only affect structures; services may be affected as
well.

Telecommunications lines
- Mechanical damage to the lines, melting of screens and conductor

Power lines
- Damages to insulators of
low voltage overhead line,
puncturing of insulation of cable
line
 DAMAGE TO A SERVICE
Water pipes
- Damages to electrical electronic control equipment likely to
cause loss of service

Gas pipes
- Puncturing of non-metallic flange gaskets likely to cause fire
and/or explosion

Fuel pipes
- Damage to electrical and electronic control
equipment likely to cause loss of service
 TYPES OF LOSS
Each type of damage, alone or in combination with others, may
produce different consequential loss in the object to be protected.
The type of loss that may appear depends on the characteristics of
the object itself.

L1: Loss of human life

L2: Loss of service to the public

L3: Loss of cultural heritage

L4: Loss of economical value

(structure and its content, service and loss of activity)
THE NEED FOR LIGHTNING PROTECTION
- Before proceeding to design a detailed lightning protection
system, a careful study is required to the building’s structure to
determine whether there is a need to protect it.

- In many cases, it is obvious that some form of protection is

required for high-risk structures (e.g. explosives factories, oil
refineries, etc)
EXAMPLES

- Where large numbers of people congregate

- Where essential public services are concerned

- Where the area is one in which lightning is prevalent

- Where there are very tall/isolated structures

- Where there are structures of historic or cultural importance

- Where there are structures containing explosive or flammable

contents.

However, there are buildings for which a decision is hard to make

 Singapore Standards for Lightning Protection SS555(2010)
 PROTECTION MEASURES
• Protection measures to reduce injury of living beings due to touch and
step voltages
- adequate insulation of exposed conductive parts
- equipotentialization by means of a meshed earthing system
- physical restrictions and warning notices

 Protection measures to reduce physical damage

- For structures: lightning protection system (LPS). Includes fireproof
compartments, extinguishers, hydrants, protected escape routes, etc
- For services: shielding wire. For buried cables, metal ducts will provide a
very effective degree of protection.
 PROTECTION MEASURES
• Protection measures to reduce failure of electrical and electronic
systems

• For structures:

o LEMP Protection Measures System (LPMS) consisting of the

following measures to be used alone or in combination:
o earthing and bonding measures
o magnetic shielding
o line routing
o coordinating SPD protection
 For services:

 Surge protection devices (SPDs) at different locations along

the length of the line and at the line termination

 Magnetic shields of cables

• The selection of the most suitable

protection measures shall be made by the
designer and the owner.

• The selection is according to the type and

amount of each kind of damage

• The selection is also according to the

technical and economical aspects of the
different protection measures
BASIC CRITERIA FOR PROTECTION OF
STRUCTURES AND SERVICES
• Ideally we would want to enclose the structure within an earthed
and perfectly-conducting continuous shield of adequate thickness,

• and by providing adequate bonding, at the entrance point into the

shield, of the services connected to the structure

• In practice, it is often neither possible nor cost effective to go to

such lengths to provide such optimum protection.
LIGHTNING PROTECTION LEVELS
- Four lightning protection levels (I to IV)
- For each LPL a set of maximum and minimum lightning current
parameters is fixed.
LIGHTNING PROTECTION ZONES
• Protection measures such as LPS, shielding wires, magnetic
shields and surge protection devices (SPD) determine lightning
protection zones (LPZ).

• LPZ downstream of the protection measures are characterized

by a significant reduction of LMP than that upstream of the LPZ.

LPZ 0A Zone where the threat is due to the direct lightning flash and the full
lightning electromagnetic field
LPZ 0B Zone protected against direct lightning flashes but where the threat is
the full lightning electromagnetic field
LPZ 1 Zone where the surge current is limited by current sharing and by SPDs
at the boundary.
LPZ 2,…, n Zone where the surge current may be further limited by current sharing
and by additional SPDs at the boundary.
LIGHTNING PROTECTION ZONES
PROTECTION OF STRUCTURES
Protection to reduce physical damage and life hazard

The structure to be protected shall be inside an LPZ 0B or higher. This is

achieved by means of a lightning protection system (LPS).
An LPS consists of both external and internal lightning protection systems.
Functions of the external LPS
- to intercept a lightning flash to the structure
- to conduct the lightning current safely to earth
- to disperse it into the earth
Functions of the internal LPS
- to prevent dangerous sparking within the structure, using either
equipotential bonding or safe separation distances
 PROTECTION OF SERVICES
The service to be protected shall be:

- Inside an LPZ 0B or higher to reduce physical damage.

- This is achieved by selecting underground instead of aerial
routing
- or by using adequately positioned shielding wire, where
effective according to the line characteristics,
- or, in the case of pipes, by increasing the pipe thickness to an
adequate value and ensuring the metallic continuity of pipes
 PROTECTION OF SERVICES
The service to be protected shall be:

- Inside an LPZ 1 or higher for protection against overvoltages causing

failure of the service.
- This is achieved by reducing the level of the overvoltages
induced by lightning by means of adequate magnetic shielding
of cables, diverting overcurrent and limiting overvoltages by
means of adequate SPDs.