Changing in climate is happening around the world in most recent years and it can/may lead a high-intensity lightning and atmospheric discharges. Such atmospherical discharges like lightning and storms; may also cause a fire spreading, damaging electrical devices or destroy household appliances.
In spite of the probability of lightning strikes in your home is quite low levels, lightning discharges can/may damage the electrical installation seriously. Lightning often time causes hundred times more energy to spread through the installation than normal times thus therefore the voltage increases and electrical devices get severe damages. Excessive voltage hits can even cause a fire in the households. Actually it was the main reason for lightning protection as well. For an atmospheric discharge to damage electrical equipments, it is not required it to fall upon the building itself; yet it is enough for it to fall near the building in. Most of the lightning protection experts warn companies and households that in such cases the damage would be less, though, it can still be quite costly and can cause inevitable losses.
Lightning protection systems protect the building as a concrete but in order to provide a full protection it can be supported with extra devices for the people living in it and the connected devices to the electrical system against lightning strikes. This installation system are as follows:
- Metal components which directly take over the electrical currents in the event of a lightning strike
- Conductors which are installed on the building surfaces-which can carry currents to earth electrodes
- Ground-mounted earth electrodes(copper, steel or iron plated materials) which dissipate energy from lightning itself
How could we Protect Electronical Equipments from impacts of Lightning Protection Systems?
Whereas external ESE lightning protection systems such as ESE lightning terminals and complementary grounding systems protect the building itself from physical damages; surge protection devices(SPDs) are mainly used to prevent such damage to computers, televisions, batteries and other household appliances during lightning transmission. These devices are installed directly to the electrical panels, the building connector and the socket to where the particular electrical equipments are connected, then in case of lightning occurrence they manage the task of reducing the extreme voltages caused by atmospheric discharge to a safer levels for the such equipments.
What are the Surge Protection Devices(SPDs) Types and where are they used?
Type I, II or III(and/or some hybrid types are used as well) surge protection devices are mostly used in the market as of now. Type I surge protection device is installed upon the input supply or main panel of the buildings, Type II surge arrester is installed on secondary complementary distributing panels where it is closure to the load. Lastly Type III surge protection devices are used mainly and directly within the house for sensible electrical devices like sockets and internet connection cables. Please check detailed explanations and product models for SPDs in www.orbitaltechs.com as well.
A properly designed and installed lightning protection system provides a good level of safety of buildings and protects them from physical damages as well as they protect human lives as well. Installation expenses of lightning protection systems depend on the size, structure material, height and ground resistance level of the building. Please contact us at info@orbitaltechs.com to receive detailed information for your household and industrial projects.
