WHAT IS A LIGHTNING PROTECTION SYSTEM? WHY DO YOU NEED TO USE A LIGHTNING PROTECTION SYSTEM?

1. What is lightning protection system?

      A lightning protection system is a method used to prevent or minimize damage caused by lightning to buildings. The goal of the lightning protection system is to protect electrical equipment inside the building, while helping to prevent the risk of fire and electric shock dangers. 

      Lightning protection devices usually take the form of lightning conductors, usually metal bars, installed on a building to protect it from lightning strikes. Lightning protection systems work by sending lightning through a safe path from the lightning rod to the ground.

        In a lightning protection system, the lightning rod is the most important component. The lightning rod must be connected to the ground to ensure effective protection of the building. There are many different types of lightning rods, including hollow rods, solid rods, pointed rods or round rods. All types of lightning rods are made from conductive materials such as copper and aluminum.

          However, because lightning has very high energy and current, the lightning protection system cannot ensure complete safety against the effects of lightning. In a lightning protection system, lightning current will be dispersed through many different paths to ground, but even the dispersion of current can cause damage. Secondary events such as "side flash" can also cause fires and explosions, destroy building materials such as brick, stone or concrete, and can injure people in the building.

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(Illustration, source: Internet)

2. Is lightning protection system important? Why do we need to use a lightning protection system? 

       Lightning protection systems are very important and necessary in protecting homes, buildings, facilities and human lives:

• Safety protection: Lightning protection system helps prevent the risk of fire and electric shock hazards caused by lightning strikes. It protects the electrical components inside the building and ensures the safety of employees and customers.
• Regulatory compliance: Regulations and safety standards require certain types of buildings to have lightning protection systems. These regulations ensure that buildings comply with safety standards and minimize the risk of lightning strikes.
• Property protection: Lightning strikes can cause extensive damage to electrical equipment and systems in a building. Lightning protection systems help minimize the risk of damage and save costs on repair or replacement of equipment.
• Protect business productivity: Lightning damage can disrupt business operations and reduce productivity. Installing a lightning protection system will reduce this risk and ensure stable operation of the business.
• Protect workers and customers: Lightning protection systems ensure the safety of employees working in the building and protect customers when they use services at construction sites.

(Illustration, source: Internet)

3. What components does the lightning protection system include?

     A lightning protection system, according to EN/IEC 62305 standard, includes the following components:

• Lightning rod: This is a component consisting of pointed metal rods or electrical circuits installed on building roofs or high locations to attract lightning. Air recovery systems help create a path for lightning so that it can travel safely to the ground.
• Conductor: This is a metal wiring system, usually copper or aluminum, that is connected from the air recovery system to the ground. The down conductor ensures that lightning is carried safely and has a precise path from the building's roof to the grounding system.
• Grounding system: This is a system of metal rods or terminations attached to the ground to provide a safe connection for lightning current. The grounding system's role is to minimize the risk of injury from lightning strikes and ensure that lightning current is safely introduced into the ground environment.
• Safe distance: Safe distance is an important factor in designing lightning protection systems. It refers to the safe distance between lightning protection system components, including lightning rods, conductors and other structures. The safety distance ensures that lightning cannot propagate from one component to another and keeps the entire system safe and efficient.
• Lightning protection system: This is a system of metal conduits used to connect lightning protection components together, including lightning rods, conductors, and grounding systems. Lightning protection systems ensure that all system components can work together to safely and effectively send lightning to ground.

(Illustration, source: Internet)

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4. How does the lightning protection system work?

     A lightning protection system operates with the following roles:

• Lightning rods and lightning conductors: A lightning rod, usually a metal rod, is placed on the roof of a building to attract lightning. This is called a lightning conductor. Lightning rods and lightning conductors create a lightning path, attracting and routing lightning along a safe path.
• Wiring: Copper or aluminum conductors are installed throughout the building structure. These conductors are bonded to a ground rod through soldering or copper mechanical connection. This wiring system creates a lightning conductor network to route lightning from the lightning rod to the ground.
• Lightning rods: At the top of the structure, conductors are connected to a series of lightning rods. Lightning rods are also made from copper or aluminum and are responsible for attracting lightning and sending it down to lightning conductors to safely guide it into the ground.
• Ground connection: When there is a positive charge on the ground, lightning current is directed from the lightning rods down the conductor and finally down to the ground connection system. A ground connection is a system of conductors that brings lightning into a safe connection point to earth, helping to dissipate lightning energy and avoid the risk of fire or electric shock.

       Through this process, the lightning protection system helps attract and direct lightning into a safe path, from the lightning rod down to the wire and finally transmits it to the ground safely through the ground connection system. This helps minimize the risk of damage from lightning strikes and protects the building and people.

(Illustration, source: Internet)

5. Purpose of lightning protection system

         Lightning protection systems have the sole purpose of ensuring the safety of buildings, facilities and people in the event of a direct lightning strike, and this is done by providing a guaranteed path standard, safe to the ground for lightning to follow. Contrary to rumors, lightning protection systems:

• Does not attract lightning;
• Lightning is not and cannot be dispersed or prevented by 'discharging' the charge of a storm;
• Most do not provide lightning protection for sensitive electrical equipment;
• Provides protection against fire and structural failure by preventing the passage through building materials of a strong, hot lightning channel.

6. Potential danger without lightning protection system 

        Without a lightning protection system, there are many potential dangers to the home or building:

• Fires: Lightning can find its way through wires inside a building such as telephone wires, cables, water or gas pipes. When lightning passes through these wires, it can overheat or even ignite flammable materials such as wood, paper, and air ducts, and cause fires in many locations in the building, including the Wood structure and insulation in walls and roof.
• Side flash: Lightning can stray into rooms in the building and other conductive locations. This could cause injury to random people nearby and could cause a fire to materials, such as gasoline cans in the garage.
• Damage to building materials: A strike from lightning creates intense pressure, which can shatter wall components, crack nearby concrete and plaster, and break glass.
• Damage to devices: Lightning can damage devices such as telephones, recorders, microwaves, telephones, washing machines, lights, and other devices plugged into the affected circuit. In particular, electronic equipment and computers are vulnerable.

        Adding a lightning protection system cannot completely prevent lightning, but it does provide a better, safer path for lightning to travel to ground. The air metal rods, cables and ground rods work together to conduct extremely large electrical currents, preventing fires and limiting equipment damage.

       Lightning protection systems are an important solution to protect buildings and users from the hazards and damage caused by lightning. By providing a safe path for lightning to reach the ground, lightning protection systems help prevent fires, damage to building materials, and failure of electronic devices. Although lightning cannot be prevented, the lightning protection system is an important part of ensuring safety and protecting property in the event of a lightning strike, minimizing possible losses to people and property. product.

        Hopefully this article has provided useful knowledge about lightning protection systems.  Hung Nghiep Phu – with a team of engineers, skilled workers and construction supervisors. Hung Nghiep Phu's projects are always implemented on schedule, ensuring absolute technical safety for the project. Please contact  Hung Nghiep Phu Construction Investment Company Limited for advice today!

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