12/4/2023

Lightning Problems on Low

Voltage (LV) systems
By Eng D G Rienzie Fernando

Lightning Related Hazards during from 1974

to 2019

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Flash Densities

Isokeraunic level – approximately 70 in western province

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Ng ≈ 0,1 Td (A.1)
where Td is the thunderstorm days per year
(which can be obtained from isokeraunic maps).

Indoor Hazards
• Frequent failures are in “Indoor” above data is not differentiated to
domestic and industrial
• These damages may be running to a US$ billion in an year.

• Mitigation of the indoor detrimental activities are easy if you identify

the root cause.

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Myths of Lightning
• Many industry and commercial environment it is a common
impression that by an air terminal your indoor equipment is safe.
You are inviting more problems by an air terminal to indoor equipment
if not handled properly

• Further it is a common requirement of many vendors that the voltage

between neutral and earth conductor low voltage like 2 V (max) avoid
equipment failures and ensures functionality of SPD’s
For a TN system you can have this and for a TT system it my be as high
as 12 V. This has nothing to do with equipment failures.

Myths of Lightning (Continued)

• Lightning never strikes twice in the same place.
Higher points may discharge repeatedly
• Lightning only strikes the tallest objects.
Lightning may hit the ground instead of a tree
• If you're stuck in a thunderstorm, being under a tree is better than no
shelter at all.
Shelter is the Best, (concerns over touch voltage is important)
• If you don't see rain or clouds, you're safe.
There may be local charges without clouds

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Myths of Lightning (Continued)

• A car's rubber tires will protect you from lightning
Mostly yes and you are in a faraday cage, not safe as a shelter.
• If you're outside in a storm, lie flat on the ground.
This may be suicide as the step voltage matters
• If you touch a lightning victim, you'll be electrocuted.
This has no meaning, but be careful about consequent lightning events.
• Wearing metal on your body attracts lightning.
May not as metal make very little difference

Myths of Lightning (Continued)

• A house will always keep you safe from lightning.
House is most safe, and avoid step and touch voltages
• Surge suppressors can protect a home against lightning.
This has no meaning

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Protection of Low Voltage

Distribution Systems

* External Lightning Protection

- Protection of Buildings

* Internal Lightning Protection

- Protection of Persons and

Equipment within Buildings

Effects of Lightning on Power & Telecom Installations

Modes of Entry of Lightning into buildings

Directly by interception of lightning on exterior

metalwork

Indirectly by interception of lightning on

other structures or services

Inductively by electric and magnetic

field coupling

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Protection of Equipment
(1) Limiting of Over voltage at the point of entry of Service(s) to which
equipment is connected - Primary Protection

- equipotential bonding

(2) Limiting of over voltage within the equipment - Secondary Protection

Protection by open circuit devices

Transformers,Opto-couplers

Protection by short circuit devices

Discharge gaps, ZNO Varistors,
Suppressor Diodes

Surge Reduction Filters

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Equipotential Bonding
Recommended Earthing Scheme

Air Exposed Conductive Parts

Terminal
Exposed Conductive Parts

Exposed Conductive Parts

Extraneous-Conductive Part

Communication Earth
Main Earth Terminal

Main Metalic Water Pipe

If earth electrode
Resistance is ≤ 1
Ohm

• Equipment protection

Circulating Currents
And
Potential up rise on grounded parts

To be considered for a good design of your

earthing
It is found that grounding problems create the
maximum no of failures of equipment in an
installation

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EFFECTS OF AIR TERMINAL OF A BUILDING ON

GROUNDING OF THE INSTALLATION

Circulating Current Paths Can Also be

Created due to

• Metal Structures or Masts in the Vicinity

• Other Types of the Metal Objects That may act as

Lightning Arrester
• Transformer HT Lightning Arrester Earthing

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If Air Terminal is Connected with the Installation Earth

The Recommended Overall Earth Mesh/Multiple Rod Earth

Resistance Shall be Less than 1 

If Not Connected
Keep the Air Terminal Earth at least 20 m away from the
Installation Earth
Provided that the,
Other Earths are as close as possible with each other

However the Preferable System is to have one ground lead

avoiding the circulating currents.

Devices used
for protection
Series Devices
Shunt Devices

MOV (Metal Oxide

ShuntVaristor)
Devices - Known as
primary protection devices

Series Devices - Known as

Secondary protection devices

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ASPECTS TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WITH MOVS

• THERMAL RUNAWAY DUE TO UNDER ESTIMATED Ur
• FAILURE OF MOV DUE TO DISCHARGE CURRENTS THAN
MAXIMUM RATED DISCHARGE CURRENT
• LEAD LENGTH SUBJECTS TO INTERPOSE A HEVY RESIDUAL
VOLTAGE AND WOULD APPLY TO THE EQUIPMENT
Suitable MOV ratings for a TT System
Ur = 440 V
Uc = 375 V
Imax = 15 kA
Irated = 10 kA
Uresidual = 1.8 kA

Specifications of a MOV Suitable

Specifications of a Sandwich for TT system
Device
Uc = 375 V
Uc = 400 V I max =15 kA
I max =15 kA I rated = 10 kA
I rated = 10 kA Ukp = 1.2 kV
Ukp = 300 V

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IMPULSE WITHSTAND / SPARK OVER VOLTAGES

DEVICES / CABLES / CONDUCTORS IMPULSE

SPARKOVER VOLTAGE

To Frame/Earth Power Units 5 - 8 kV

Telecommunication Units 1 - 3 kV

Transverse Voltage between Circuits with discrete

Input Terminals of components 0.5 - 5 kV

Electronic Devices/Circuits
Integrated Circuits
Bipolar Technique TTL 50 - 100V

Integrated Circuits
Bipolar Technique
High Level Technique 50 - 300V

Integrated Circuits
MOS Technique 70 - 100V

Telecommunication cables 5 - 8 kV

Signaling and Measuring Cables, Power Lines up to 20 kV

Power Cables up to 30 kV

( phase to earth )
1500V at 230V
Impulse 230 V 800V at 150V phase
withstand 500V at 100V to earth
voltage 6000V 4000V 2500V 380V at 50V

Installation IV lll Il I
category
Primary supply voltage, Immobile installations, Household Special devices or parts
overhead lines and following installation appliances, devices, following
cable networks category IV portable devices etc. installation category ll,
including bus bars following installation telecommunication
and their attributed category lll devices, electronic etc.
overcurrent protectors

PREFERENTIAL VALUES FOR IMPULSE WITHSTAND VOLTAGES IN

THE INSTALLATION CATEGORIES ACCORDING TO IEC REPORT,

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PROBLEMS WHEN USING MOV AS PRIMERY SECONDARY

PROTECTION
DS40
Main
Panel

DS10
DS10(TPN)
(TPN) DS10 (TP)

Capacito Capacito
r Bank 1 r Bank 2

DS10 DS10 DS10

Sub Panel -1 Sub Panel -1 Sub Panel 6

(office)

DS10 DS10

UPS 1 UPS 2

Power socket out lets to 4 Nos. HUBS & 44 Nos. COMPUTERS

Therefore be cautious that you may invite problems by using

MOVs incorrectly

Also be Cautious that you may have wrong earthing practice

which would lead to repetitive failures of your electronics due to
circulating currents.
Then you can easily blame the Surge and accept the costly
failure.

Fine protection units might sacrifice themselves to protect the

equipment.
Replacing fine protection is cheaper than replacing the
equipment
However be Cautious if the secondary protection is failing
repetitively it also may be due to circulating currents

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Frequent Cases of Other Types of Over Voltages

• Sustaining Earth Faults

• Neutral Disconnection

Type of Earthing

TT

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Air Terminations

Simple Vertical Conductor

Horizontal Conductors for Flat Roofs

Large Structures
Horizontal Air Terminations
Down Conductor Terminations

For Large Terminations with height> 20m

“Rolling Sphere Method” will determine

the locations for Down Conductors

Radius of Sphere normally 45m

Safety while lightning occurs

Do’s and Don’t’s while Lightning takes place

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Common Mistakes in Installation of Air Terminations

• It is a Myth that masses think that by having a lightning arrester (air terminal) on your building will cover the
damages occur in your indoor appliances

• Un-proper earthing practice

In this case if over all earth resistance is higher than 1 ohm do not mix up the air terminal earth with frame earth of
the installation.

• Coverage area assessment.

• Assessment of need of arresters (air terminals)

• Assessment of impacts to you and your installation due to neighboring air terminals and objects that act as air
termination

• Each arrester earthing leaves a risk of step voltage during a lightning.

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Common Mistakes in Installation of Surge Protection

Devices (indoor)
• Wrong selection of SPD
For TT and TN systems while selecting Uc of the SPD correct assessment to be considered

• Lead Length of the SPD to be kept as short as possible

V = L . di/dt whereas I is the discharge current and t is the time and L is the inductance

If you calculate this for a surge frequency

in the order of 27 kHz
The voltage developed across 1 m of cable
can be in the order of 1 to 3 kV
The residual voltage of the SPD can be 1.6 kV
and the total voltage for I m Can be 2.6 kV
and BIL of your LV equipment can be 10 kV impulse

• Purpose of isolator or O/C protection device E/F

protection deviece

•Screening and Effect of Higher

Points

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Area Shielding
• With shielding with over head wire
• With masts only, without shielding wire

Single Tower with One lightning rod

Design methods as per VDE 0101

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M1 M

R
2H B B 2H

30°

C /3.H
Screening to prevent direct strokes with Screen wire
Design as per VDE 0101

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Cross Sectional view of Design Criteria as Per

protected area VDE 0101

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Screening on HV and MV substations

Cross section of swiitch yard

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Coverage Area – 3 D

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• Arresters on Hilltop Estate.

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People Living Under Towers

Case views

In every case
Visual case considerations
are important
Conditions internally
Conditions in the
neighborhood matters for
the mitigation of lightning
effects.

Surface Layer Properties and Issues with

Surface Layer
Issue with Such
Dielectric Paint is it
facilitate static electricity
Which can be eliminated
with humidifiers

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Latest Research
• Benjamin Franklin launched his
famous kite into a stormy sky in
1752, he provided a preferential
path for the charge accumulated in
the clouds to reach the ground.
• A 21st century update on Franklin’s
kite is a laser fired up into the
atmosphere. Stationed on a Swiss
mountain, researchers have shown
that the beam from a high-powered
laser provides a preferential path for
lightning bolts.
• However researchers also says that
the lightning is very unpredictable

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THANK YOU

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