Lightning Protection Products

Lightning and quickly moving power surges can instantly bring down sensitive electronic systems in any business. This is because a lightning strike’s temperature is several times greater than the surface of the sun. And they often occur without warning – day or night. Even the magnetic field, which is a part of the lightning strike, can inflict damage to nearby computers and electronics. So, a powerful strike, can cause damage to computer networks, automated machinery, computer drives & controls, and diagnostic equipment leading to costly business interruptions and lost production time.

What should you do to protect your facility from lightning damage?

Install a lightning protection system by LEC. A typical lightning protection system is designed to protect a facility from lightning damage by intercepting such strikes and safely passing their extremely high currents to ground. But our Patented DAS Lightning Prevention System is different. It eliminates the lightning strike altogether from the protected area.

Lightning is produced in thunderstorms. It gradually builds up on electrical fields and once it is large enough, a giant spark occurs (like static electricity) between the earth and the ground. This spark is actually called a lightning strike. It may also occur between clouds and between cloud and air. But it is the strike between the cloud and ground that is most damaging.

Our LPS uses Charge dissipation technology using the principle of point discharge to facilitate the reduction of static electrical charge buildup. Their sole purpose is to prevent an electrical arc or current flow that can cause damage. In simpler words, the lightning rod, through thousands of specially engineered charge dissipation elements, releases ions that dissipate electrical energy needed to initiate the formation of upward streamers.  Thus the downward stepped leader will look for a better target and the structure is protected from direct lightning damage.

Lightning Eliminators & Consultants provides integrated protection and prevention products, solutions and services. Our patented Charge Transfer System (CTSs) is widely used and is the best technology for protecting a facility from lightning damage. The Dissipation Array System (DAS) also provides a ‘no strike’ warranty.

To know more about prevention from lightning strikes, contact us. 

LEC is a fully integrated lightning protection solution provider.

Before we tell you how our LPS work, let us provide some brief facts about the lightning protection solutions.

LEC provides four general types of lightning protection solutions, as follows:

1. Conventional air terminal systems – designed to collect strikes
2. Early streamer emitting air terminal systems– designed to collect strikes
3. Charge Transfer Systems – streamer delaying arrays that are that are designed to prevent all possible lightning strike collection
4. Hybrid System - streamer delaying air terminals that collect strikes only when charge transfer capacity is exceeded by dissipation requirements.

Our lightning protection system is termed Dissipation Array system (DAS) because it neutralizes the charge differential between the cloud and the protected facility before the flashover points occur. In other words, DAS is a no-strike prevention system – it will not allow any strikes to the protected area due to its a high level of performance.

DAS uses the principle of point discharge to facilitate the dissipation. The purpose of charge dissipation products is to reduce the accumulation of electric charge and thereby prevent an electric arc that can cause damage. This is accomplished by ionizing surrounding air and neutralizing accumulated charges on the earth’s surface, including the grounding system.

DAS  Features:

-          It reduces operation costs

-          Protects against lightning damage

-          Reduced maintenance cost

-          Improved reliability

-          Our “no strike” warranty ensures complete protection on all LEC supervised the installation

-          Can be customized and integrated with any building, tower, tank, and other structure

-          Increased personal safety

-          Healthier bottom line

Our process:

At LEC, when determining which lightning and surge protection system is right for a facility, our experienced engineers will thoroughly perform a scientific evaluation of the site’s exposure and vulnerability to lightning. We even examine the electrical, data and communication systems, as well as performing ground testing. We determine the overall cost of a proper lightning protection system by the scope and complexity of work based on the complete site evaluation report.

The list of clients that choose LEC’s DAS is extensive. Our customers are repeating often with multiple facilities in different geographic locations across the world.

LEC is the smart risk reduction choice for critical systems. Contact us. 

Lightning strikes approximately 10 times each second, around the world. Exactly where each lightning will strike is unpredictable, and their occurrence is unpreventable. What is in our control is the implementation of proper lightning protection systems in accordance with the nationals and international standard.

The conventional lightning rod aka Benjamin Franklin rod was the first to demonstrate that an electrically conductive path can safely channel lightning strikes from the top of a building into the earth. This lightning protection system has proved its effectiveness for ordinary facilities time and again.

Yet the lightning protection requirement of many structures especially in factories and industries exceed those provided by these conventional rods. As sensitive electronic now control vital functions including facility security, climate control, data storage, access systems, etc the vulnerability has increased. At the same time, the risk appears to be rising due to the occurrence of more frequent extreme weather events associated with climate change.

A direct lightning strike can cause physical damage and secondary effects of the lightning can and will damage electrical and electronic systems. Thus, the selected lightning protection system must be designed and implemented such that no form of lightning-related destruction, disruptive and reliability impairment phenomena can penetrate or enter the protected system.

While evaluating a particular site we consider the following points in order to provide the best level of lightning protection required for your needs:

- Environmental factors and the tolerable risk of the site

- Safety of workers and other individual members

- Risk of equipment and structural damage

- Consequential damage

- Substantial revenue loss in the time required to restore services

- The legal implication of providing inadequate protection

- Side flashing or simple sparks in the explosive or flammable environment or between metallic structures

- Phenomenon causing a dangerous surge

Determining the level of lightning protection appropriate for each situation can be complex and require expert engineering expertise.

In order to prevent lightning from striking your facilities, Lightning Eliminators & Consultant Inc has developed an exclusive patented product line and a team of engineering specialists that can provide an array of solutions for maximum lightning protection.

 

‘Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it’s lightning that does the work’ – Mark Twain

Lightning is terrifying and mysterious – scientist still can’t answer all the questions. But it serves a purpose. These magnificent electromagnetic discharges recharge the Earth’s battery by keeping the ground flush with negative electric charge while maintaining the ionosphere’s positive charge.

But lightning is dangerous. An average bolt of lightning carries approx. 20,000 amperes of charge; one can well imagine the amount of damage a pulse can do!

Such a severe natural electrical force often leads to extensive thermal and physical damage whether it’s a direct strike and one occurring close-by. Besides the property damage and danger to delicate equipment and potential for serious injury, lightning strikes can bring a major disruption in our ability to serve the public. Radio and telecommunications systems damage is the most frequent cause of loss, followed by damage to computers.

In the US, lightning strikes about 25 million times a year. Although fascinating to watch, you should never be outside during a thunderstorm. You don’t even need to have a storm right over your head to be in the danger zone, it can strike many miles from the heart of a storm. If you are hearing the thunder, you are close enough to be struck.

Lightning damage is more extensive than what you can initially see. For example, when lightning hits your facility, it creates a power surge and this surge runs through your facility and damages everything plugged into the outlets. Secondly, it has the potential to start a fire and thirdly, the sound that lightning creates – shock wave. It has the potential to blow plastered walls, break the glass and even crack foundations.

 Lightning damage to a million dollar facility can have a lofty price tag, so installing a lightning protection system from LEC is a smart move.

Don’t let lightning damage your property. Contact us. As our name suggests – Lightning Eliminator’s & Consultant Inc. – We design, manufacture, install and maintain the best solutions to eliminate lightning from striking the protected area. 

Did you know that lightning is the single biggest cause of damage to and destruction of electrical and electronic equipment in industrial facilities and commercial buildings?  Also, that thunderstorms occur virtually everywhere and that puts any building at risk.

Due to the ever-changing climate and rise in temperature lightning strikes are becoming more and more frequent.

Some statistics

-          In Salzburg, Austria, a gondola system was shut down due to lightning strike, leaving about 150 people stranded while visiting the Eisriesenwelt ice caves.

-          A SandRidge Energy tank battery burned after it was struck by lightning just west of Enid, Okla in March’18

-          A voltage spike that resulted from a severe weather condition including a lightning strike brought down the data center cooling system in San Antonio.

-          As of July’2018, the total number of fatalities from lightning was 11, with 5 being struck and killed in Florida

Types of lightning damage may include blown fuses, flashover of insulation inside motors or transformers, vaporized transistors and integrated circuits, vaporized traces on printed circuit broads, and other damage that places the business on hold for an indeterminate amount of time.

How can you prevent lightning damage?

-          Inspect the grounding electrode system at the main service entrance and look for anything that may contribute to lightning damage

-        Make sure the bonding between the electrodes is effective. Or else a lightning surge will create an enormous voltage between them damaging the input/output printed circuit board within electronic equipment.

-          There have been instances where separately driven electrodes existing at equipment locations are damaged due to lightning

-          Lightning damage at input/output boards is an indication that transferred earth potential has developed between buildings

-          Lightning damage can occur at the AC input to electronic equipment

The protection of industrial sites from lightning damage has now become a common requirement.

Lightning damages equipment and affects production in two ways, either through direct strikes to the equipment or through the electrical surge that is produced within the power lines and ground that is  delivered to the equipment. Lightning Eliminators and Consultant Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and patent holders of lightning and surge protection systems. 

Lightning strike, one of the most beautiful pictures every time it strikes however it’s also the most dangerous act of nature.

Besides the deadly effects of this natural phenomenon, the lightning strike can cause more damage to than you think to any industry. Thus extreme protection measures are mandatory and a well-designed lightning protection system is required.

Let’s talk about the telecommunication industry.

In less than 30 years, cellular mobile towers and antenna structures have proliferated on every continent. These are very tall structures, because of the nature of their jobs, making them the perfect lightning targets.

The telecommunication towers such as cellular, microwave communication, television broadcast, and radio repeaters are like magnets for lightning strikes – these towers are made of conductive metal materials and they are the tallest structures around.

And it’s the nature of a lightning strike to flow down to the ground through the fastest (most conductive) way, which usually is the tower’s body and leg.

Once a direct lightning strike flows through the tower, any equipment located in the tower, the supplying generator, shelter or fence, and any additional energy sources like solar panels or wind turbines located near tower can be damaged beyond repair.

Installation of our lightning protection system can mitigate many such damages.

Traditional lightning arrestors are not appropriate for these telecommunication towers as this tower being the tallest conductor in the area already collects the lightning strike. What needs to be done is to keep lightning away from these sites to avoid any possible damage.

DAS - lightning protection system

Dissipation Array System is our most innovative and patented system. It consists of air terminals, bonding conductors, ground terminals among others. We manufacture and design this lightning protection system with full precision to ensure complete safety and smooth functioning.

During a storm, our DAS makes these towers almost ‘invisible’ to lightning. It works on Charge transfer technology which means it reduces the electrical field to below lightning collection levels thus preventing lightning from striking the protected area.

As no lightning strikes the tower, there are no damages and no loss of service.

Lightning Eliminators & Consultant Inc. is the name to reckon with a robust https://masonlamb.tumblr.com/post/178177454790/the-importance-of-chemical-grounding-rod" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">lightning protection system. https://www.lightningprotection.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://https://www.lightningprotection.com/

 

Lightning strikes are characterized by very high stroke currents arriving in a very brief amount of time. This current flow across the surface of the earth in all directions until the cells between the thundercloud and earth, are neutralized.

An average lightning strike delivers about 30000 amps of electricity to the ground within a few milliseconds.

Being at the forefront of both the basic science and product development, we are uniquely qualified to address the problems inherent in lightning protection. Whether it is the petrochemical industry or the telecommunication industry, our methods use similar technology; a combination of a Dissipation Array system comprising of down conductors and grounding terminals along with surge protection devices.

While the priorities of each lightning protection project differ from industry to industry, some common features in every project are:

- Dissipation array system using our charge transfer technology. Our innovative and patented product lowers the risk of a direct lightning strike by delaying the formation of upward streamers. In other words, lowering the chances of lightning to strike the protected area.

As per the demands of your company, we can suggest the Spline ball Ionizer or the Spline ball terminal or the DAS, and they all work with the same technology.

- Surge protection devices to protect the electrical devices and valuable electronic equipment from the damaging effects of spikes and surges by disrupting them in the source voltage before they reach the devices plugged into them.

Facility guard, Transient limiters, DC Surge protectors, Data line protectors, Coaxial line protectors are some of our manufactured SPDs protecting from the hazards of transient and fault currents.

- A risk assessment is needed to determine the type of lightning protection system needed by the facility. It takes into account parameters associated with the structure and its surroundings, the lightning flash density of the location and the industry.

- Maintenance and inspection of the existing lightning protection systems is recommended to continue the designed safety for the structure as an ongoing process. It is also fundamental in ensuring compliance with industry safety standards

Lightning Eliminators & Consultants Inc.https://masonlamb.tumblr.com/post/177228453225/the-importance-of-grounding-rod-protection-system" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">, serves a wide range of customers including oil, gas, chemical and other industrial facilities. We have established ourselves as a global leader. Contact us to get your property protected.

While a lightning strike on its own is bad enough, when that strike ignites a fire, it opens doors to a host of issues. As these disasters aren't planned and they are unexpected, a prudent business creates a disaster recovery plan which is frequently tested and regularly maintained.

A still better approach to averting such disasters altogether is by installing a lightning protection system.

Our lightning protection products can safeguard various industries including but not limited to refineries, offshore platforms, and rigs, pipelines, terminals and tank farms.

Let us take a closer look at our patented products according to their usage:

LIGHTNING PREVENTION

Dissipation Array System – Based on the charge transfer technology, this patented product prevents downtime, loss of assets while increasing the level of lightning safety.

Spline Ball Ionizer – A supplement to our patented Dissipation Array installation, our patented SBI is the first line of defense for structures that require lightweight protection with a low wind profile.

Spline Ball Terminal – a superb alternative to standard air terminals; it is engineered to reduce the risk of direct strikes while performing as a highly efficient air terminal.

Streamer Delaying Air Terminal – another alternative to standard air terminals; it is designed to delay upward streamer generation and reduce the risk of lightning damage.

STORAGE TANK PROTECTION

Retractable Grounding Assembly – floating roof tanks are most susceptible to fire from lightning strikes. Our award-winning RGA creates a low impedance bond between the roof and shell giving you a cost-effective, easy to install and virtually maintenance free system.

In-tank Potential Equalizer – As the name suggests, our IPE combats the problem of internal electrical discharges within non-metal and lined tanks.

GROUNDING / EARTHING

Smart Ground Testing Service – It’s an advanced ground audit system producing highly accurate results even on the energized ground. Our smart ground offers practical recommendations to improve the earthling system as well.

ChemRod – it requires less real estate and fewer electrodes to meet specified resistance. Each Chem Rod creates an optimal electrical connection to earth with a large conductive surface.

LECWELD – this is an easy and efficient field welding system, wherein the process forms a solid copper molecule bond that does not loosen or corrode throughout the life of the host structure.

Grounding Augmentation fill – GAF is a special formula to create a low resistance earth interface, making it easier and less expensive to prevent a lightning strike.

The primary purpose of our products is to reduce the accumulation of electrical charges thereby prevent the electrical current flow into the building which could cause considerable damage.

Lightning Eliminators & Consultant Inc. has the experience and expertise to manufacture, engineer, install, and maintain systems that integrate lightning protection, grounding, and power quality products into existing infrastructure.

A traditional lightning protection system consists of a lightning rod and a network of down conductors and earthing electrodes that provide initial protection to a building. When appropriately designed and installed this system carries a lightning strike safely to the ground, avoiding damage to property and life. However, it is not practical to let charged electromagnetic current near sensitive electronic devices.

At Lightning Eliminators & Consultant Inc., we recognized the need to design a more practical and efficient system. Through our skills and experience in this field, lightning protection system under the Charge Transfer Technology is widely recognized as the best and most advanced protection from a lightning strike. 

The Charge Transfer Technology used in Dissipation Array System prevents the termination of lightning within the desired area of protection. This reduces operating cost and downtime as it safeguards against lightning damages fire and electrocution.

How we work

We offer a comprehensive set of services from the first inspection to the final installation. Our experts perform an extensive on-site survey and assess the requirements. Based on this survey our engineers design an all-inclusive protection system in accordance with subjective needs. The design of the system is a critical part of any installation and identifies all that is required to meet the set
international standards and specifications. While the concept behind lightning protection system is relatively straightforward, the requirements for proper installation can be complex. 

Our industry trained professional installers complete the installation process within the time stipulated and to the highest and safest standards. Follow-up testing is carried out at regular intervals and involves a visual survey of the entire system. Electrical resistance testing is also carried out as a part of the service.

Surge suppressors are another very important part of a lightning protection solution. It adds another layer of protection to sensitive electronics from the surge of transient voltage.

We are a US manufacturer providing a full range of lightning protection systems designed to the highest standards using state of art technology and machinery.

 

 

Being a leader in the field of effective lightning protection systems, Lightning Eliminators & Consultant Inc. has spent many years developing and testing superior lightning protection products. Due to our efforts, we have many patented lightning protection products. Most notably is our designed Dissipation Array System which is engineered to prevent a lightning strike.

Dissipation Array System (DAS)

“DAS uses a naturally occurring scientific phenomenon called point discharge to retard the collection of lightning within a finite protection zone.”

It works on the principles of Charge Transfer Systems. These lightning protection products lower the static field long enough for the lightning to terminate or strike outside the protected area.

DAS does not attract lightning it eliminates it.

There are three typical reasons for our clients to choose DAS as their choice of lightning protection:

1.       Operations of every facility are too critical and sensitive to let a high voltage lightning strike to be collected and then grounded. This is especially risky in a physically explosive environment and places where downtime will be very costly.

2.       Industries that will experience extended restart period due to initial downtime or repairs; system checks, processes that cannot be reset and disposals and waste that cannot be reused are areas where choosing our DAS system is the best approach.

3.       Another critical area where this patented lightning protection product is the best choice – personnel safety. Any industry where an area must be occupied by personnel even during a storm activity, such as for surveillance or security reasons.

Additionally, there are other patented lightning protection products that combine (depending on the need and the area to be protected) to provide full protection against lightning.

-          Dissipation Array System (DAS)

-          Chemical Grounding Rods (CHEM-ROD)

-          Retractable Grounding Assembly (RGA)

-          Spline Ball Ionizer (SBI)

-          Spline Ball Terminal (SBT)

-          In-tank Potential Equalizer (IPE)

We understand that an industrial facility’s lightning protection design has to be unique, with immense capabilities to protect your entire facility from damage. Rest assured our lightning protection products incorporate physics and state-of-the-art engineering principles to provide successful and cost-effective protection.

Contact our team and get protected today!