The Art and Science of Lightning Protection

by Martin A. Uman

• ISBN13: 9780521878111
• ISBN10: 052187811X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-03-03
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

A lightning strike to an unprotected object or system can be disastrous - in the United States lightning is responsible for over thirty percent of all electric power failures, causes billions of dollars worth of property damage, and is responsible for an average of 85 fatalities a year. This easy-to-read book describes all aspects of lightning protection at a moderately technical level and includes many illustrative drawings and photographs. It also discusses the physical behaviour of lightning, various types of lightning damage, the role of lightning detection and warning in effective protection, and the options for deflecting or eliminating lightning. This book will be essential reading for everyone involved in the business of lightning protection, including meteorologists, atmospheric scientists, architects, engineers, and fire-safety experts. It will also be of significant value to insurance practitioners, physicians and members of the public with a general interest in lightning hazards.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xi
What is lightning?	p. 1
Types of lightning	p. 1
Statistics on lightning occurrence	p. 5
Cloud-to-ground lightning	p. 8
General principles of protection	p. 16
Estimation of strike probability for small structures	p. 20
When is lightning protection needed and/or desirable?	p. 21
References	p. 23
Lightning damage	p. 25
Overview: the cost of various types of lightning damage	p. 25
Conductors and insulators	p. 28
Lightning characteristics pertinent to damage	p. 28
References	p. 41
General methods for lightning protection: Faraday cages, topological shields; and more practical approaches: cone of protection and rolling sphere methods	p. 43
Is there perfect protection?	p. 43
Practical protection: types of protection	p. 45
The striking distance	p. 50
Cone of protection and rolling sphere methods	p. 57
References	p. 62
Structure protection: air terminals and down conductors	p. 65
Overview	p. 65
Air terminals	p. 67
Early streamer emission rods	p. 76
Down conductors	p. 78
Very long down conductors	p. 82
References	p. 83
Structure protection: grounding	p. 85
Overview	p. 85
Soil properties	p. 88
Resistance of various grounding electrodes	p. 89
Non-resistive and non-linear grounding electrodes	p. 95
References	p. 98
Surge protection for electronics in low-voltage electrical systems	p. 99
Overview	p. 99
Amplitudes and waveshapes of lightning transients	p. 100
Crowbar devices	p. 103
Voltage clamping devices	p. 104
Filters and isolation devices	p. 106
Hybrid circuits: multiple-stage protection	p. 108
References	p. 109
Humans and animals	p. 111
Personal safety	p. 111
Statistics	p. 112
Medical issues	p. 117
Electrical effects	p. 125
References	p. 131
Lightning warning	p. 134
Overview	p. 134
RF location techniques	p. 139
Detection from satellites	p. 147
References	p. 149
Airships, airplanes, and launch vehicles	p. 152
Overview	p. 152
Statistics	p. 157
Accidents	p. 161
Lightning test standards	p. 171
References	p. 173
Ships and boats	p. 175
History	p. 175
Protective techniques	p. 179
Statistics	p. 183
References	p. 185
Trees	p. 186
General	p. 186
Protective techniques	p. 187
Types of damage	p. 187
The value of lightning to trees	p. 196
References	p. 197
Overhead and underground power and communication lines	p. 199
Overview	p. 199
Overhead power lines	p. 200
Underground cables	p. 211
Communication lines	p. 215
References	p. 218
Lightning elimination	p. 220
Modifying the cloud electrification process	p. 220
Artificial initiation of lightning	p. 221
Can thunderstorms be steadily discharged?	p. 225
Can lightning be inhibited?	p. 228
References	p. 230
So, what do we know and what don't we know about lightning protection?	p. 232
Does it work?	p. 232
How well does it work?	p. 233
References	p. 235
Index	p. 236
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