Electrical Installations

Protection against
Lightning

Department of Building Services Engineering

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

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Lightning Accidents

 A worker died after lightning

struck a communication cable
when he was repairing in a
sewage treatment tunnel in
Ma On Shan.

 In two other incidents, three

mechanics repairing an
aircraft at Chek Lap Kok
airport were injured when they
are struck by lightning.

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 Lightning Damages in HK
From the Hong Kong Observatory report in 15 recent years, the annual death rate is
less than 0.1 per million people.

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How Lightning Forms?
 Lightning forms as a result of a natural build-up of electric charges on
separation storm clouds, and experiences the following four stages
Charge separation and accumulation
Stepped downward leader
Upper moving streamer -electric field due to the down leader
increases to the point of initiation of an upward leader
Completion of ionized
path –the upward leader
propagates towards the
downward leader to
complete the ionized path
between cloud and
ground

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Lightning Parameters
Lightning flash consists of one or more lightning strokes. Each
stroke is a sequence of high magnitude short-duration current
pulse.
The lightning return stroke from a lightning discharge can be

described by the waveform illustrated below

 1st return stroke

 2nd return stroke

 T1=0.25us
 T2=100us

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 Lightning Parameters
 Lightning is a natural phenomenon where, for the purpose of
analysis and design, a statistical approach is taken.
 5% of first, negative lightning strokes exceed 90 kA
 5% of positive lightning strokes exceed 250 kA
 5% of negative subsequent strokes exceed a rate of current rise of
161 kA/s
 IEC 62305: Four lightning protection levels are introduced

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 Source of Damage
 According to IEC 62305, the lightning current is the primary source of damage.
The following sources are distinguished by the strike attachment point:
 S1: Flashes to a structure  S2: Flashes near a structure

 S3: Flashes to a line  S4: Flashes near a line

 Line: power line or telecommunication line connected to the structure to be

protected
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 Types of Damage
 A lightning flash may cause damage depending on the characteristics of the
object to be protected, e.g. type of construction, contents and application, type of
service and protection measures provided.

 D1: Injury to living beings by electric shock

(due to step and touch voltages)
 D2: Physical damage
(fire, explosion, mechanical destruction)
 D3: Failure of electrical and
electronic systems
(due to lightning electromagnetic impulse (LEMP))

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 Types of Loss
 Each type of damage, alone or in combination with others, may produce
different consequential loss in the object to be protected.
Loss
Damage
Loss of human life
Source
Injury to
living beings
Loss of service to
the public

Physical
Flashes to a damage Loss of cultural
structure heritage
Failure of
electrical and Loss of economic
electronic value
systems 9
 Mechanism - Damage
 Side flash

Discharge will flash over

to the nearby metalwork
Current
flowing
down Potential difference in the
along the gap ‘D’
lightning
conductor

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 Mechanism - Injury
 Step and touch voltage
 Person X is in contact with the ground at a and b;
person V is in contact with the ground at c and the
conductor at d; person Z is in contact with the
conductor at land a metallic hand rail/shown
grounded at g.
 Person X is subject to step potential.
 Person V is subject to touch potential.
 Person Z is subject to transferred potential.
 The potential depends on the current magnitude
and the impedance of the path of the lightning
discharge.
 Step potential increases with the size of the step a-
b in the radial direction from the conductor and
decreases with the increase in the distance
between person X and the conductor.
 The transferred potential increases with increase in
the radial distance between the down conductor
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and the ground g.
Lightning Protection
 Objective
 To control the passage of a
lightning discharge in such a
manner that no personnel injury
and minimal property damage will
occur
 Principle
 By providing a safe low-
impedance conducting path for
flow of lightning discharge
currents to the ground without
allowing them to through the
building structure
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Lightning Protection System
The ideal lightning protection for a structure and its connected
service would be to enclose the structure within an earthed and
perfectly conducting metallic shield (box), and in addition provide
adequate bonding of any connected service at the entrance point
into the shield.
  Faraday Cage (Mesh Method)

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Lightning Protection System
External LPS: To intercept the strike, conduct and disperse it
safely to earth
 Air termination, down conductor, earth termination
 Internal LPS: To prevent dangerous sparking from occurring
within the structure as this can cause extensive damage and
fires.
 Achieved by equipotential bonding or ensuring that a “separation
distance” or sufficient electrical isolation is achieved between any LPS
component and other nearby electrically conducting material.
 Any difference between the equipotential bonding requirements
set for electric shock protection and lightning protection?

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Lightning Protection Systems
 Air termination system
To intercept the lightning or draw the
lightning discharge to it in preference to
vulnerable parts of the protected
structure
 Down conductor system
To convey the discharge to ground
without danger of side flashing or
building electrification with a low
impedance path
1: Air-termination conductor
 Earthing termination system
2: Air-termination rod
To allow the lightning surge energy to 3: Mesh size
be dissipated in to the earth with a 4: Down-conductor
lower dynamic impedance 5: Earth Termination with a ring
conductor 15
Air Termination System
 The air termination system is made by
 Air rods whether they are free standing masts or
linked with conductors to form a mesh on the roof;
 Catenary (or suspended) conductors;
 Meshed conductor network that may lie in direct
contact with the roof or be suspended above it.
The position is determined by three basic


methods
 The rolling sphere method
 The protective angle method
 The mesh method
 For tall structures over 60m, the upper 20% of the
structures must be covered with air termination
system.
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 Rolling Sphere Method
 Rolling sphere method (suitable for all cases)
An imaginary sphere, typically 20m~60m in radius (the striking distance),
is rolled over the structure surface points that contact with the sphere are
deemed to require protection (air terminal should be provided), whilst
unaffected areas are deemed to be protected.
The system consists of a series of horizontal air termination (copper
tapes) with are bonded to vertically descending down conductors.

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 Rolling Sphere Method
 Application
This method is suitable for defining zones of protection for
all types of structures, particularly those of complex
geometry.
For rolling sphere method with a meshed conductor
network, the mesh must be mounted at some distance
above the roof.
ha  R  R 2  s 2 / 4

hb  R  R 2  s 2 / 2

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 Rolling Sphere Method
 Rolling sphere method:
 For air-termination placement, the main consideration is the ability of the
lightning protection system to intercept smaller flashes.
 A smaller flash must approach closer to the air-terminal before the upward
leader is launched.
  More difficult to intercept small lightning flash current. Air-terminals must be
spaced closer together.
  Smaller r for higher level of protection

r  10  I
Class of 0.65 Rolling sphere
Min current (kA)
LPS radius (m)
Highest
I 3 20.42 20
level of
II 5 28.46 30
protection
III 10 44.67 45
IV 16 60.63 60
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Protective Angle Method
 Protective angle method (Suitable for simple-shaped objects)
The cone of protection is a simple of geometrical construction that
assigns a zone of protection to a vertical or horizontal conductor

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Determination of the Protective Angle

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Protective Angle Method

 Application
Itis used to show the effectiveness of the
designed protection system.
For use with the meshed conductor
network, the network must be mounted at
some distance above the roof.

s  2h tan( 2 )

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Mesh Method
Mesh method (Suitable where plane surfaces are to be
protected)
The mesh consists of a number of inter-connected conductors covering
the objects to be protected.
Four different air termination mesh sizes are defined according to
relevant classes.
The method is suitable where plain surfaces require protection if the
following conditions are met;
Air termination conductors must be positioned at roof edges

No metal installation protrudes above the air termination system

Class of LPS Mesh size W (m)

I 5x5
II 10 x 10
III 15 x 15
IV 20 x 20 23
Mesh Methods
 On structures taller than 60 m,
flashes to the side may occur. An
air termination system shall be
installed to protect the topmost
20% of the height of the
structure.
The rules for positioning air-

termination system on roofs shall

also apply to those upper parts of
structures.
In addition, for structures taller

than 120 m, all parts which may

be endangered above 120 m
should be protected. 24
Down Conductors
Down conductors are connected to the
air termination and down to the earth
DCs deliver lightning energy which is
collected from the air termination to the
earth
A test point should be fitted on every
down conductor.
It is permitted to have an aesthetic
covering of PVC or protective paint over
the down conductors.

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Down Conductors
Lateral connections either by fortuitous metalwork or external
conductors made to the down conductors at regular intervals is
encouraged
There should always be a minimum of two down conductors distributed
around the perimeter of the structure.
DCs should be installed at each exposed corner of the structure.

Class of LPS Typical distance (m)

I 10
II 10
III 15
IV 20

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Down Conductors

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 Earth Termination Network
 Earth terminations deliver the lightning energy collected from the air
termination via the down conductor to the earth
 It is recommended having a single integrated earth termination system
for a structure, lightning protection, power and communication systems.
The agreement of the operating authority or owner of the relevant
systems should be obtained prior to any bonding taking place.
 The resistance to earth of the lightning protection system measured at
any point, should not exceed 10 ohms if possible.
Three basic earth electrode arrangements are used
 Type A arrangement
 Type B arrangement
 Foundation earth electrodes

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Earth Termination Network
Type A Arrangement
The arrangement consists of horizontal or vertical earth
electrodes connected to each down conductor fixed on the outside
of the structure
The total number of each earth electrode shall not be less than
two. The minimum length for a horizontal or vertical electrode is
determined from the fig. shown next slide.
The minimum length of earth electrode can be disregarded if the
earth resistance of the overall earth earth termination system is
less than 10 ohm.
The earth electrodes shall be installed such that the top of each
earth electrode is at least 0.5m below the finished ground level.
The electrodes should be distributed around the structure as
uniformly as possible to minimize any electrical coupling effects in
the earth
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 The minimum length for earth electrode is determined from the fig.

Earth Termination Network

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Earth Termination Network
Type B Arrangement
The arrangement is a ring earth electrode that is situated around
the periphery of the structure and is in contact with the surrounding
soil for a minimum 80% of its total length.
The ring electrode should be preferably buried at a minimum
depth of 0.5m and about 1 m away from the external walls of the
structure.
The minimum length of the ring earth electrode is the length
determined by the figure multiplied by 2.
Foundation Earth Electrodes
Thisis essentially a type B earthing arrangement.
The criteria are the same as those for Type B arrangement

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 Structural steelwork  Earth electrodes

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Earth Pit

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 Equipotential Bonding
Besides, appropriate equipotential bonding measures should be
carried out to ensure that in the event of lightning current flowing, no
metallic part is at a different voltage potential with respect to another
 A common earth-
termination system for the
various electrical systems
(lightning protection, low
voltage systems and
telecommunications
systems) is preferable.
This earth-termination
system must be
connected to the
equipotential bonding.
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Equipotential Bonding

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 Separation Distance
In a lightning protection system, the point of striking may be raised to a
high potential with respect to adjacent objects.
When the potential difference between two objects is higher than the
breakdown voltage, a flashover may occur.
 Distance , potential difference 
 If there is insufficient distance between the
air-termination or down-conductor system
and metal or electrical installations within
the structure to be protected, there could be
a risk of uncontrolled flashovers between
components of the external lightning
protection system and metal and electrical
installations within the structure,
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 Separation Distance
Calculation of separation distance:

kc
s  ki l
km
ki – Depends on the selected class of LPS
kc – Depends on the splitting of the current in the
down-conductor system of the external LPS
km – Depends on the electrical insulation material
l– Length, in metres, along the down-conductor,
from the point where the separation distance is to be
considered, to the nearest equipotential bonding point

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 Earthing Electrodes
 Type of earth electrodes (local practice)
 earth rods or pipes
 rod diameter >=12.5mm for copper, and 16mm for stainless steel
 separation of 3.5m or at least twice the driven length.
 All rods shall be connected via PVC insulated earthing conductors laid at
a minimum depth of 600mm below the ground surface
 earth tapes or wires
 copper strip with csa > 25mmx3mm
 earth plates
 copper plates with thickness of 3mm +, and size of 1.2mx1.2m
 structural metalwork embedded in foundations

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Earthing Resistance
 Earth resistance
 The electrode together with the soil surrounding it creates
infinite conducting earth paths for earth current to return to
the supply neutral via the general mass of earth
 Resistance components
 resistance of electrode
 contact resistance
 resistance of soil surrounding the electrode (major item)
 Resistance limit
 Many code of practices recommend a low earth resistance
value when electrodes are being used.
 In local practice, 10 ohm is often recommended
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 Earthing Resistance
 Soil resistivity of Hong Kong
Type of soil location Resistivities (-m)
Marshland, mangrove Near sea cost 2–6
swamp
Agricultural soil Arable lands 10 – 120
Pure clays Castle Peak, Kam Tin, 35 – 105
Fanling, etc.
Woodland soil Hong Kong 55 – 150
Decomposed granite Kowloon, HK, NT 65 – 450
Red earth Kowloon, HK, NT 55 – 180
Phyolitic soils Decomposed volcanics 45 – 175
Dry soils with sand Mountainous areas 180 – 700 +
and gravel
Dry sand 2000 – 6000
Decomposed rocks 180 – 1000
Concrete 30 – 90
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 Note: The values change with temperature, humidity, etc.
 Earthing Resistance
 Electrode shape
• where
 Rods
– R = resistance of an earth
electrode
   8l  
R  ln   1 – Rn = combined resistance of
2l   d   earth electrodes
– n = number of earth electrodes
1  k
Rn  R – l = length of the electrode (m)
n – d = diameter of electrode (m)
 – D = diameter of infill (m)
  = resistivity of the soil (-m)
2Rs
– k = factor given in Tables

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 Earthing Resistance
Factors for multiple electrodes
 Plate  
R No. of electrodes Factor k (arranged Factor k (arranged
4 2A on the line or side in a line) in a hollow square)
2 1.00 2.71
Rn  1.2 R / n 3 1.66 4.51
 where 4 2.15 5.48
5 2.54 6.14
 A = area of one face of
6 2.87 6.63
the plate (m2) 7 3.15 7.03
 A separation of at least 2m 8 3.39 7.36
is required for the multiple 9 3.61 7.65
parallel plate installation 10 3.81 7.90
12 8.32
14 8.67
16 8.96
18 9.22
20 9.40
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