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Lightning Protection Design for Radar Antennae: Musings from a Case Study

Conference Paper · July 2019

DOI: 10.1109/ICECCE47252.2019.8940804

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 Lightning Protection Design for Radar Antennae:
Musings from a Case Study
Mohsin Khalil∗ , Zaheer Shamsi†
{∗ College of Aeronautical Engineering, † Research Center for Modeling and Simulation}
National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan

Abstract—The digital advancements in terms of advanced compared to their surroundings [2]. Moreover, the effect
electronic and electrical appliances call for enhanced safety of rotation in case of windmill blades and radar antennae
practices and precautionary measures. Regardless of the avail- induces an electric field which might result in exchange of
ability of protection devices against voltage surges and fluctu- charges, thus leaving the equipment exposed to risk [3].
ations, the possibility of natural implications such as lightning Although a few materials and their shielding mechanism
and electrostatic discharge can never be ruled out. The con-
ventional solutions implemented for lightning protection are
against lightning has been explained in literature [4]–[6],
deemed adequate for routine household appliances but require however, the availability and finesse of these materials might
enhanced measures in case of bigger structures such as wind- not be readily ensured, which calls for installation of external
mills and radar antennae. In this work, we gauge the legacy hardware for lightning protection. It is worth mentioning
lightning arrester for radar antenna against the international that to the best of our knowledge, the existing literature
lightning standard IEC 62305. Additionally, we propose the provides recommendations on the composition of materials
blueprint of a meshed lightning arrester for protection against for lightning protection but it does not deliberate on the
lightning in line with IEC 62305 guidelines. We validate our type and design of lightning arrester for platforms such as
proposal with the help of mathematical analysis and present windmills and radar antennae.
our recommendations for serving as guideline in designing an
appropriate meshed lightning arrester.
A. Contributions of this Paper
Keywords—Lightning Arrester, Meshed Conductors, Electro-
static protection. The aim of this work is to suggest suitable Lightning
Protection System (LPS) for protection of radar antennae.
In this work, we present how the heavy structures may be
I. I NTRODUCTION exposed to lightning in the presence of routine practices of a
With the advent of the new electronic systems and devices generic ‘singular’ lightning arrester. We formulate our study
to cope up with the ever increasing human requirements, from the perspective of a radar antenna and indicate how
various safety parameters are also taken into consideration. the conventional approaches might not be sufficient when
Due care is needed in handling of these systems as their pitted against the lightning protection standard IEC 62305
consequences may be damaging if negligence is attributed in in Section II. Based on the type of lightning which endangers
this regard. In most of the buildings and electronic devices, a high structures, we consider various approaches in proposing
copper wire is extended from the top to the ground in order the design of a meshed lightning arrester in Section III. We
to take care of electrostatic charges. However, this practice is validate our proposal with the help of mathematical analysis
routinely being followed for bigger electronic systems on a in Section IV. In light of this analysis, we present some
generic level as well, which might not be sufficient to serve guidelines in Section V in terms of arrester installation,
the purpose. One widely known incident regarding radar followed by the conclusion of the paper in Section VI.
antennae is of OU Prime – a weather radar at Oklahaoma,
which was struck by lightning due to inadequate lightning B. Types of Flash
arrester mechanism [1].
Lightning is essentially the consequence of ground elec-
Thunderstorms are caused by the movement of sufficiently trostatic charges getting neutralized by the charges in the
moist air masses at higher altitudes. This phenomenon may cloud, and can be of two types [7]:
be observed in various ways. The neutralization of positive
charge centers with negative ones is termed as ‘cloud-to- 1) Downward Flash: In downward flash, the leader prop-
cloud flash’, and this does not directly cause the ground agates the lightning discharge from the cloud towards the
based objects to get hit by lightning; however, the radiation ground. Generally the low level installments and flat terrain
of lightning electromagnetic pulses (LEMP) should be taken gets affected by such type of flash, which is also termed
into account as their discharge may damage the electrical as cloud-to-ground flash. Such type of flash is pictorially
appliances. It has also been established that the tall and high depicted in Fig. 1. It is generally a feature of warm season
structures are more vulnerable to get struck by lightning thunderstorms and the extent of danger it may pose to radar

978-1-7281-3825-1/19/$31.00 ©2019 IEEE

 In order to narrow down on the design of an appropriate
lightning arrester, we now discuss the key attributes of IEC
62305 standard [10].

A. Lightning Protection System (LPS)

External LPS is installation of requisite hardware / equip-
ment that are located outside of a structure, which are used
for catching and directing lightning strikes to grounding
system by a conductor. The external LPS enables protection
by reducing the exposure of the structure by providing an
Fig. 1. Discharge mechanisms of negative downward flash (left) and alternate path for lightning conduction instead of damaging
positive downward flash (right) the structure. The important elements of LPS are discussed
as under:
antennae is usually low, however it may need to be evaluated 1) Air Termination System (ATS): Air Termination System
depending on the geographic location. ensures that the lightning does not directly strike the antenna
structure. The design aspect is catered to ensure that the
2) Upward Flash: In upward flash, the leader propagates
structure remains protected against unexpected lightning.
the lightning discharge from the exposed object on the
The angles and dimensions of the air termination system
ground towards the cloud. Generally the high and exposed
are appropriately managed so that the adverse effects of
structures such as radio masts, and radar antenna get affected
lightning strike may be averted in a sustained manner. Air
by such type of flash, which is termed as ground-to-cloud
Termination System comprises of following components:
flash as well. Such type of flash is depicted in Fig. 2. It
is generally a feature of winter thunderstorms and it is • Air Terminal
extremely harmful for radar antennae. That is why, it is • Spanned wires and cables
highly likely that such objects may be struck numerous times • Conductors connected in a mesh network
by a single lightning discharge.
For the design of air termination, following may be used in
any combination:
1) Air rods (also termed as finials) may be thought of
free standing masts or may also be connected with
conductors over the structure top.
2) Catenary is a term used for suspended conductors
linked using free standing masts or may also be con-
nected with conductors over the structure top.
3) Meshed network of conductors is generally laid over
the roof or remains in a hanging position above the
structure. For a rotating antenna of radar, this type is
more suited in hanging form compared to the previous
Fig. 2. Discharge mechanisms of negative upward flash (left) and positive approaches. The pictorial depiction of these types is
upward flash (right) depicted in Fig. 3.

II. L IGHTNING P ROTECTION S TANDARD (IEC 62305)

The lightning protection standard presently in place is

IEC 62305 [8]. Although it was initially proposed in 2006,
however it was declared as the defacto lightning protec-
tion standard in 2008 after it superseded the previously
adopted BS 6651. This standard is more comprehensive and
elaborates the various requirements based on the historical
lightning effects of last few decades [9]. It comprises of Fig. 3. Air rods (left), Catenary (center) and Meshed network of conductors
following four components [10]: (right)

• General principles 2) Down Conductor System (DCS): The conducting ma-

• Risk management terial used to connect the ground termination system with air
• Physical damage to the structure termination system is termed as Down Conductor System.
• Electronic systems protection This arrangement is aimed at the seamless transfer of
lightning current from the earth termination system to the lightning arrester in order to finalize a suitable design for
ground without damaging the antenna structure. In order to LPS. The probability of damage against each Class of LPS
ensure damage protection, following factors must be taken using additional allied component is mentioned in Table II:
into account in designing Down Conductor System: TABLE II. P ROBABILITY OF DAMAGE AGAINST EACH CLASS OF
• Multiple parallel current paths should be present. LPS
• Length of conductor material carrying current paths LPS Class Probability of Damage
may be kept to bare minimum by avoiding the unde-
sired loops. Distance between down conductor should I 0.02
be appropriate, and a lead in this regard may be taken II 0.05
from Table I. III 0.10
• Connections should be made wherever required in lieu
of the worst case lightning scenario. IV 0.20

TABLE I. D ISTANCES BETWEEN CONDUCTORS

LPS Class Distance between conductors A. Methods / Techniques for ATS arrangement
I 10 meters Following three methods / techniques are being used for
composition and dimensioning of air termination systems.
II 10 meters
This would also help in estimation of protection / coverage
III 15 meters areas:
IV 20 meters
1) Rolling Sphere Method: The rolling sphere method is
3) Earth Termination System (ETS): Lightning current generally utilized for computationally complex scenarios.
is dispersed towards the ground by means of an Earth The initiating point of upward leader which causes the
Termination System. An effective earth termination system lightning flash strike is inferred from the head of downward
should constitute a good earthing wire/conductor having leader. The downward leader head can only reach the ground
following characteristics: only for some bounded distance, which is calculated by
strengthening the electrical field of the ground terminal.
• Minimum electrical resistance: Minimum value of the The minimum possible distance between downward leader
electrical resistance between the ground and the elec- head and upward leader’s initiating point is termed as final
trode will guarantee maximum flow of lightning current striking distance. This distance is considered as the radius of
towards the ground. Less resistance will enable the rolling sphere [12]. The maximum value of lightning current
lightning current to prefer that path over other alterna- and downward leader’s stored charge exhibit a degree of
tives, thus ensuring the safe dissipation of the current proportionality, which can be expressed mathematically as
through the conductor to the earth.
• Highly corrosion-resistant: Since the electrode material r = 10 (I)0.65 (1)
remained buried for many years, therefore it is neces-
sary that the material for subject purpose is selected where r is measured in meters and I in kilo Amperes.
such that it resists corrosion effects to ensure longevity. Among other specifications, IEC 62305 standard also clas-
4) Middling Wire: Although middling wire has not been sifies the individual lightning protection levels in terms of
elaborated in the defacto LPS standard, however, we find it four LPS classes, from which lightning protection measures
imperative to be mentioned at this juncture. Middling wire may be emanated. Class-I LPS provides the most effective
is the connecting conductor between air terminals and has protection, whereas Class-IV LPS is the least effective of
been extensively explained by Benjamin Franklin regarding the lot. Therefore, we set Class-I LPS as benchmark for our
its application for lightning protection [11]. This middling design.
wire would increase the effective lightning protection area 2) Protective Cone Method: The protective cone method
with a behaviour akin to extended air terminals. may be thought of as an approximation of rolling sphere
method. A protective angle is defined in this case, which is
III. D ESIGN C ONSIDERATIONS OF M ESHED A RRESTER measured as the angle created between the tip of vertical
IN ACCORDANCE WITH IEC 62305 rod and a line projected down to the surface on which the
rod is located. This method is generally recommended for
Since IEC 62305 is the prevailing standard for lightning roof-mounted structures and buildings having steep roofs.
protection systems, therefore we propose the design of LPS Moreover, this protective angle is a function of ATS height
arrangement for protection of radar antenna in line with and LPS classes [13].
this standard. The relevant calculations in this regard would
be analyzed and discussed in the same context. In light of 3) Mesh Arrangement: A mesh arrangement of ATS finds
aforesaid, we consider various techniques of arranging mesh universal utility and does not necessarily require roof shapes
or building specifications. Therefore, it can be evaluated ac- be formed. We need to calculate the coverage area of these
cordingly based upon the manner in which this arrangement middling wires. Top view of the proposed middling wire
is installed. A mesh arrangement of ATS in accordance with arrangement (with dimensions) is shown in Fig. 5. Since
respective LPS class may be selected according to the mesh all the sides are equal, therefore, these four triangles are
size appended in Table III. equivalent to one another. In case of ∆ABD, the segments
AB and BD are equal with 24 feet length. Hence, the
TABLE III. M ESH SIZES FOR EACH CLASS OF LPS corresponding angles would also be equal for these sides.
LPS Class Size of Mesh
Moreover, as one angle of this triangle is 90o , therefore, θ
must be 45o (since θ + θ + 90o = 180o ). Same inference
I 5 x 5 meters may also be deduced using Pythagorean theorem.
II 10 x 10 meters
A C
III 15 x 15 meters
45° 45°
IV 20 x 20 meters

12 ft
A’
90°
IV. D ESIGN C ALCULATIONS FOR P ROPOSED
F’ 45° E
L IGHTNING A RRESTER

24 ft
90°
F 45°

The statistical data about number and trend of lightning 90°

B’
strikes at any antenna site is not readily available in generic
45°
cases. Moreover, even if the data is made available, it might 45°
not be a good practice to make lightning predictions based
on that data, as any deviation from the previous history B D

would render this complete approach as futile thus rendering 24 ft

the whole effort getting wasted. Therefore, we design the

lightning protection system as per worst case scenario. In Fig. 5. Angle assessment of Middling Wire Arrangement
this context, we would design system for Class-I LPS. The
protective angle for LPS parameters calculation would be Since the triangles are equivalent, we would take triangle
45o for 10 meters air termination masts. The proposed LPS ∆ABE as reference for calculations. For generic environ-
arrangement is depicted in Fig. 4. The basic trigonometric ments, it is better to cater for the worst case scenario. In this
calculations are undertaken to determine the protective area context, we take consider the Class-I LPS. For this class,
based on proposed heights of ATS of the proposed LPS. the coverage area is 45o for each air terminal element of 10
meter height based on the protective cone method described
Middling Wire Masts for Air earlier. Each triangle side would act as extended air terminal.
Terminal In this scenario, the point F 0 , mentioned in Fig. 5 would be
the least covered area. This point is equidistant from line
segments AB (AF ), AD (AE) and BC (BE) and is also
at 90o with respect to each line.
A
29 ft

45°
22 ft

Radar
12 ft

Antenna
A’
90°
24 ft F’ 45° E
24 ft

E90°
F 45°
Fig. 4. Proposed LPS Arrangement for Radar Antenna
90°
B’

The antenna used for case study is installed onto a

platform which is approximately 28 feet above the ground.
We have taken antenna platform as reference plane, as
masts for the lightning arrester were subsequently installed B
on this platform. The dimensions of antenna platform are
Fig. 6. Detailed Analysis of Middling Wire Arrangement
approximately 24 x 24 feet, which are depicted in Fig. 4.
The middling wires across the air terminals are to be in- We now concentrate on ∆F BE for analysis. A line is
stalled diagonally. Therefore, a total of four triangles would drawn from point B to point F 0 . This would split angle
 45o coverage area of each segment of Middling Wire

Air Terminals

35 mm2 Copper
Braided Wire

The coverage of middling

wire segments coincide
at around 5 feet below

Reflector Width = 21 ft

22 ft Fiber corner Masts (9 m)

70mm2 Copper Braided Strip

Connectivity between Air

24 ft Terminal & Braided Strip)

Down Conductor
(Copper Strip)

Fig. 7. A Schematic View of Proposed Mesh Lightning Arrester. This arrangement would ensure requisite protection of Radar Antenna

∠F BE (which was 45o originally) to two angles ∠F BF 0 4.97 feet distance above the antenna structure based on
and ∠F 0 BB 0 measured 22.5o each. The values of each angle calculations in Section IV.
of ∆F BE are depicted in Fig. 6. 2) For an antenna structure having a height h from the
Since point F is mid-point of line segment AB, therefore antenna platform in the range of 20 to 60 feet, the height
F B = 12 feet. Subsequently, of masts installed at four corners of antenna platform
for Air Termination System may vary from (h + 10) to
FF0 (h + 20) feet while catering for approximation factors.
tan (22.5o ) = (2) It may be noted that the heights greater than (h + 20)
FB
would reduce the area in protective cone, and the
Or number of lightning arresters in the mesh will have to
be increased to compensate for height.
F F 0 = (12)(tan 22.5o ) (3) 3) Masts and supporting mechanism must be strong
= 4.97 feet enough to withstand the prevailing weather of the site.
In case of air traffic radars, this arrangement should be
able to withstand high speed gusts.
4) At the same time, solid metallic material of large
V. A NALYSIS AND R ECOMMENDATIONS diameter cannot be used for said masts in close vicinity
of radar antenna due to reflection of RF power /
Till this point, our calculations were carried out in XY - obstruction of radar coverage. Suitable composite ma-
plane. Now, we visualize the protective area for each point terial (preferably fiber) may be looked into for subject
of middling wire of this particular triangle. As we move purpose.
forward on line F E (towards point E), the 45o coverage 5) The copper wires (connected with air terminals) passing
of AE gets more effective due to decrease in distance from through four corner masts may be connected with
line AE. Similarly, as we move back on EF line (towards copper braided strip meshed together at the antenna
point F ), the 45o coverage of AB comes into play. The platform.
45o coverage for all middling wire (AB, BE and AE) 6) Multiple down-conductors must be extended from
towards Z-plane would meet at a point approximately 4.97 meshed copper braided strips towards multiple points
feet below the mesh arrangement. of earth termination system.
In light of foregone, following measures are recommended 7) The Earth Termination System may comprise of four
for design of an effective LPS for radar antenna: earthing points in order to achieve minimum resistance.
This resistance value should be kept as low as possible
1) Multiple lightning arrestors (minimum of 04) may be to ensure optimum performance.
used in mesh arrangement. This setting would ensure 8) All four air terminals may be connected with a cross
that each provides a coverage of 45o , therefore, the mesh copper braided wire at the top. These are to be
height of air terminal and middling wire must be at least
 connected tightly and must never lean onto the radar [7] N. Pineda, J. Montanyà, A. Salvador, O. A. van der Velde, and
antenna. J. A. López, “Thunderstorm characteristics favouring downward and
9) The Air Terminals (including its base) may be identical upward lightning to wind turbines,” Atmospheric research, vol. 214,
pp. 46–63, 2018.
to the one shown in Fig. 7.
[8] A. Singhasathein, W. Rungseevijitprapa, and A. Pruksanubal, “A
10) The 35 mm2 braided copper wire may be used for novel approved mathematical equation for lightning protection an-
‘Middling Wire’ mesh and for extending connectiv- gle,” Journal of Electrical Engineering & Technology, vol. 13, no. 2,
ity from Air Terminals to braided copper strips (at pp. 1021–1029, 2018.
platform). Moreover, subject wire should be free of [9] I. M. Yasir and Taib, “Lightning Phenomena-Offshore O&G Fa-
joints, as a jointed wire may be prone to breakage cilities Not Immune,” in Offshore Technology Conference Asia.
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recurring maintenance calls. [10] “Protection against lightning - Part 1: General Principles,” Lightning
Protection Standard IEC 62305.
11) Moreover, 70 mm2 copper braided strip may be used
[11] B. F. Turns, “Benjamin Franklin and lightning rods,” Physics Today,
for constituting mesh onto antenna platform. Each air vol. 59, no. 1, p. 42, 2006.
terminal and down conductors would be connected to [12] S. Ait-Amar and G. Berger, “A modified version of the rolling sphere
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proposed lightning arrester is illustrated in Fig. 7. vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 718–725, 2009.
[13] D. W. Zipse, “Lightning protection methods: An update and a
discredited system vindicated,” in 2000 IEEE Industrial and Com-
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VI. C ONCLUSION (Cat. No. 00CH37053). IEEE, 2000, pp. 155–170.

This study proposes an effective lightning protection

design for a radar antenna to cater for inclement weather
scenarios by consideration of Class-I LPS of the IEC 62305
standard. Since the legacy lightning arrester might not be
adequately protective in case of bigger platforms such as
radar antennae, therefore we have highlighted the need for
devising an appropriate substitute along the lines of IEC
62305 lightning protection standard. Depending on the type
of lightning, we have considered various approaches in this
work for proposing the design of a meshed lightning arrester.
After requisite mathematical analysis and due consideration
of design constraints & methodical approaches, necessary
guidelines have been presented specific to the case of
radar antenna in order to ensure adequate protection against
lightning flashes.

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