Lightning is the phenomenon of the rapid discharge of electrical charges between the earth and the clouds. Lightning protection systems are installed in buildings to eliminate or at least minimize the harmful effects of lightning caused by human health and property safety. Lightning protection systems, Faraday cages or similar lightning protection systems protect the buildings and areas where they are installed against the harmful effects caused by lightning. Active lightning rods are the most used system among lightning protection systems. These lightning rods work with an early flow warning system. It is widely used today as it provides both easy installation and effective protection. The Faraday Cage consists of three parts: the catch tip, the down conductor and the grounding system. This system is installed at certain distances to the area to be protected. However, installation costs are high. Nevertheless, Faraday Cage is also used today as it provides very effective protection.
The correct operation of the installed systems depends on regular checks. According to the Regulation on Health and Safety Conditions in the Use of Work Equipment, lightning rods should be measured and controlled in periods of maximum one year.
There are no devices and methods capable of changing weather conditions in nature to the extent that they can prevent lightning discharges. Lightning strikes on buildings, near or near service installations is dangerous for people, structures, occupants and service installations. Lightning is one of the exciting and interesting events. Average 1800 lightning per minute occurs at different geographical locations, frequencies and amplitudes. For example, lightning occurs many days of the year in the equator region, while lightning does not occur at the Earth's poles.
The performance of lightning protection systems, which are widely used nowadays, have been tried to be demonstrated by theoretical and experimental studies. However, commercial concerns have been predominant in some of these studies. Lightning discharges are explained by channel theory in large electrode openings. For the initiation of conductive ducts and superficial discharges that can cause lightning discharges, it is sufficient that the local electric field strength exceeds the approximate value of 5 kV / cm. In a cloud, when the electrical field strength increases sufficiently, between clouds, in the cloud or between the cloud and the earth (lightning) Discharges may occur. In towers and the like, in high-rise buildings relative to the surrounding area, when the electric field strength reaches a certain value, lightning upwards may occur.
The polarity of the lightning, the peak value of the waveform and current are the characteristic magnitudes of the lightning. The polarity of lightning discharges can be negative or positive. % 70 -% 90 of the lightning strikes that occur are negative polarity. In order to protect people, buildings, facilities and equipment against the effects of lightning, controlling and directing lightning discharges is a field of activity of electrical engineers for many years; research on the issue is still ongoing due to some uncertain aspects of the lightning discharge.
The purpose of lightning protection is to eliminate or minimize the direct and / or indirect effects of lightning. In the past, the purpose of lightning protection has been limited to providing life safety against lightning and fire prevention; developing technology and living standards have brought protection phenomena and scope far beyond. However, it is known that providing absolute protection against the direct or indirect effects of lightning is often very difficult. For example, when lightning strikes the lightning protection system or to a point of the structure, a potential tent can form in the transition zone to the ground and throughout the structure, reaching peak voltages of one hundred kilovolts, depending on the grounding resistance of the system and the value of the current.
Our company performs lightning protection measurements in accordance with the relevant legal regulations, standards and test methods published by local and foreign organizations within the framework of electrical safety inspections. These standards are based on a few standards:
- TS EN 62305-1 Lightning protection - Part 1: General rules
- TS EN 62305-2 ... Section 2: Risk management
- TS EN 62305-3 ... Section 3: Physical damage to buildings and life-threatening
- TS EN 62305-4 ... Section 4: Electrical and electronic systems in buildings
- TS EN 62561-1 Lightning protection system components (YKSB) - Part 1: Specification for fasteners
- TS EN 62561-2 ... Part 2: Specifications for conductors and grounding electrodes
- TS EN 62561-3 ... Part 3: Specification for spark-jumper insulation gaps
- TS EN 62561-4 ... Part 4: Specification for conductor connectors
- TS EN 62561-5 ... Section 5: Rules for earth electrode inspection enclosures and earth electrode seals
- TS EN 50536 Lightning protection - Severe storm warning systems
