Why do we need lightning protection in industries?
Lightning protection systems help to reduce or avoid damage to the buildings and equipment inside the buildings from lightning. The electrical design consultants in industrial projects recommend lightning protection systems to protect electrical components and prevent fires and electrocution. A lightning protection system’s main function is to intercept, conduct and disperse lightning to the earth.
Furthermore, large surface areas are more prone to lightning attacks. Industries that have flammable materials must have lightning protection systems. Moreover, industries must have a lightning protection system as a prerequisite for insurance.
The type of lightning protection system depends on the type of building or structure and the functionality of the building. The electrical design consultants design lightning protection systems by following the regulations.
How does lightning affect industries?
Lightning can affect industries mainly in the following ways:
- If it strikes the structure
- If it hits near the structure
- If it hits a service
- If it strikes near a service.
The damage could be injury or loss of life of the occupants, structural damage, or damage to the equipment or electrical components. A transient overvoltage can damage the sensitive equipment in the facility, which may result in loss of production.
What does a lightning protection system contain?
A lightning protection system includes conductors, strike termination devices, interconnecting conductors, surge protection devices, grounding electrodes etc. When the lightning protection system is in place, the lightning rod is the first to be hit. A wire conducts the strike to the ground. The lightning rod is made up of conductive materials like copper and aluminium.
The electrical design consultants consider the risk to the industry in designing the lightning protection system. Some factors are occupancy in the building, possible damage to the building/ structure/ equipment, the impact of cables entering the structure, and the risk of fire.
To conclude, the presence of lightning protection systems keeps the occupants, the structure and the equipment safe. Electrical design consultants in industrial projects must design the system as per the guidelines.
