Structural lightning protection to BS EN 62305 is designed to protect the fabric of the building against lightning damage. It is not intended to, and will not, protect electronic equipment against the secondary effects of lightning.
The term ‘electronic equipment’ means any piece of equipment which incorporates sensitive electronic components; computers, telecommunication equipment, PBX, control and instrumentation systems, programmable logic controllers etc.
The secondary effects of lightning (which can be resistive, inductive and capacitive coupled) together with the switching events of large motors caused surges (transient overvoltages) to be injected into the systems.
The microchips on this circuit board have all been damaged by transient overvoltages, although only one shows obvious signs of damage
Resulting in the devastating 4D’s of Degradation, Disruption, Damage and Downtime of electronic components.
These destructive surges or transient overvoltages can be conducted into electronic equipment by:
- Mains power supplies
- Data, signal and communications lines
Surge protectors should be installed on mains power supplies and data, signal and communications lines.
A lightning strike to any part of a site will cause lightning current to flow away from the strike point – the arrows indicate the direction of possible current flow
Mains power supplies should be protected
- At the main incomer or main low voltage power distribution board
- On outgoing power supplies
- Locally to key pieces of equipment eg: computers
Data, signal and communication lines
- Protect all lines coming into the building
- Protect all lines leaving the building
However, most devices are overvoltage protectors but erroneously called surge protectors.
The surge protection device should have:
- A low ‘let-through ‘voltage (this is the voltage which gets past the protector, reaching sensitive equipment)
- This performance should be provided with respect to all combinations of conductors.
- Should not impair the normal operation of the system.
At FullSpectrum Energy, we understand the problems surges cause, protection techniques & basic considerations to determine if protection is required and also help you to choose, specify and deploy effective surge protectors.
Contact us NOW
Victor Oyedu, FNSE, FNIEEE, CPQ.
Power Quality and Energy Management Specialist.
Publisher at Afrienergyonline.com &
CEO, FullSpectrum Energy Solutions Limited, Nigeria.
