Testing of Lightning Protective System of a Residential Structure: Comparison of Data Obtained in Rocket-Triggered Lightning and Current Surge Generator Experiments

Abstract

We present a comparison of data obtained during testing of lightning protective system of a residential structure in rocket-triggered lightning experiment at the International Center for Lightning Research and Testing (ICLRT) at Camp Blanding, Florida, and current surge generator experiment at Rzeszow University of Technology in Poland. Three different configurations of LPS were tested in Poland with the dc grounding resistances of the entire system 4.09 : (LPS 1a), 1.65 : (LPS 1b), and 2.88 : (LPS 2). For LPS 1a with three ground rods the value of the peak current entering the electrical circuit neutral was about 56% of the injected current peak, and for LPS 1b with two additional ground rods, each connected by a buried horizontal conductor 5 m long, was about 16%. For LPS 2 with five ground rods interconnected by a buried loop conductor this ratio was 21%. The current waveshapes in the ground rods differed from the injected current waveshapes and the current waveshapes in other parts of the test system, especially, for poorer LPS 1a. The surgegenerator results are consistent with those of triggered-lightning experiments at Camp Blanding, Florida (DeCarlo et al., 2006 [2]).

Lightning current distribution in a laboratory model of lightning protection system

“…The inductance of the long flat bar and underground cable line models causes relatively slow fronts of currents I 5 and I 6 . Moreover, the shorter rise time of currents I 1 and I 3 (three to four times) comparing with the I 0 , indicates a significant proportion of the capacitive reactance in the grounding impedance of both vertical rods (3) and (4). It is quite difficult to determine the exact difference in the peak value and in the front time between current waveforms measured in the points I 0 to I 6 by observation the traces as in the Fig.…”

“…The prepared model consists of horizontal conductor (1) connected to two down conductor (2) at opposite corners of the test house. They are coupled with vertical grounding rods (3,4), modelled by inductive power resistors terminated to ground. The values showed in Fig.…”

“…The International Center for Lightning Research and Testing (ICLRT) at Camp Blanding, Florida is one of the centres involved with this subject [1][2][3]. Similar studies are carried out at the Rzeszow University of Technology in a cooperation with ICLRT since 2007 [4][5][6][7][8]. There is a real scale simple model of residential house, located at the test side in Huta Poręby near Rzeszów, with dedicated LPS system connected to the electrical supplying installation.…”

Measurements and modeling of electromagnetic disturbances in the lightning protection system of the residential building

“…The experimental and theoretical studies of lightning current distribution in LPS were carried out at the International Center for Lightning Research and Testing (ICLRT) at Camp Blanding, Florida, operated by the University of Florida (UF) [1][2][3][4]. In cooperation with the UF lightning research group, the experimental investigations of impulse current distribution in a small-structure LPS was conducted at the Rzeszow University of Technology (RUT), Poland [5][6][7][8][9][10]. A main objective of the preliminary experiments conducted at the RUT was practically the same as in Florida, that is, to examine the current waveforms in different parts of the circuit and the distribution of the injected impulse current between the grounding system of the LPS, and electrical installation of the building.…”

Experimental Investigation and Numerical Modeling of Surge Currents in Lightning Protection System of a Small Residential Structure

“…Two years later, in 2007 and 2008, similar experiments were conducted at the Rzeszow University of Technology (RUT), Poland, using a mobile current surge generator and *Address correspondence to this author at the Rzeszow University of Technology, Poland; Tel: + 48 17 8651253; Fax:+ 48 l7 8542088; E-mail: maslowski@prz.edu.pl three different configurations of LPS installed on a simple model of residential building [3] (see Fig. 1b).…”