Electrical Surge Protection

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

The Industrial Need For Lightning Protection

“Lightning protection” is a generalized way of describing a suite of protection measures used to fend off the damage that can be caused by lighting strikes to property and equipment. Within the industrial sector, this phrase will usually describe the lightning rods, overhead shielding and grounding mechanisms that are put in place in order to divert lightning strikes away from critical equipment that is exposed. Due to the physical makeup of industrial facilities, with structures or components being positioned in remote areas comprised of few other structures which are taller, as well as being made of materials that are lightning attractants, we find that lightning damage is almost unable to be completely avoided. The measures and failsafes that get put into place in order to protect expensive equipment and systems are diversion techniques, and represent attempts to divert lightning strikes to structures that are distanced away from critical components, and where the strike and subsequent surge can be better controlled. Lightning seeks the path of least resistance to earth, which is the reason it will so often strike the tallest structure in a region, or a component made out of a material that possesses the ability to conduct the electricity to the earth. Lightning rods and overhead shields draw the strike to themselves where they can route it to the earth in a safe manner. A major issue with many industrial installations is the poor earthing capabilities within the region they exist, as well as a difficult time effectively drawing the strike to a safe region. Within industries like wind power production and telecommunications, the towers that represent the most critical aspect of the process literally act as a magnet for strikes because of their height and positioning, as well as often poor earthing abilities. These are the reasons that we find that “surge protection for industrial installations” is often separated from “lightning protection” even though the source of the surge is still a lightning strike most of the time.

Lightning strikes produce an intense power surge capable of damaging and destroying almost any computerized component, no matter how robust. The operational range for electrical flow that is safe for the components used in many industrial processes is far short of the volume of electricity produced in a lightning strike, so protection measures beyond simple diversion techniques must be put into place to protect the equipment and systems. Surge protection devices are installed within structures along pathways where electricity would travel from the top to the bottom of structures, as well as along any form of wire or cable that electricity can flow effectively through. The data transfer and power cables within systems create adequate ravel paths for the surge produced by lightning strikes, and through the installation of technologically advanced surge protection devices along these pathways, the downstream equipment can be salvaged many times after a strike instance takes place. Through minimization of damage and avoidance or diversion of strikes, we find that surge protection and lightning protection systems within industrial facilities are saving millions of dollars every year.

Keeping Industrial Processes Active After Lighting Strikes

The need for industrial lightning protection and surge protection devices and systems exists for two main reasons. The first and most obvious is to avoid damage to the equipment used in a process that would be caused by the lightning strike itself or the power surge that follows. Damage at the strike point is usually cataclysmic, resulting in fire and explosion at the strike point that will destroy nearly anything within a small radius of that point. Lightning is an unbelievably powerful entity, and as it seeks the easiest path to the earth and strikes tall structures it causes large amounts of destruction that are nearly impossible to avoid at the point where it hits. This is why the best defense against a lightning strike is a good offense, that offense representing proactive measures to draw the strike away from expensive or critical components in specific structures. Lightning protection is seen in the form of lightning rods or overhead shielding that draws the strike to itself, where is can be safely drawn down or routed to a safe place without damage. If it is possible within the facility to install items like these to divert lightning strikes completely away from more necessary components, there will be a certain percentage of successes and a certain percentage of failures. This is because even if there are lightning protection measures in place, it does not assure that lightning will only strike those components. This is why surge protection devices and systems must also make up the totality of protection systems with regards to lightning.

A successful lightning protection system will divert lightning strikes most of the time, leaving a percentage of strikes that will still occur to structures that house critical components, or to those components themselves. Lightning will produce a power surge that travels along any pathway it can to reach the earth, easily finding electrical and data transfer cables a mechanism to move from the strike point toward the earth. This creates a chain reaction of damage, with any component that is near the strike point and connected to another component further down or away also being impacted and damaged. This can not only create damage that is multiplied in it’s scope but also system failures that take necessary functionality down for the period until it can be restored. This can take critical services offline, or increase product costs through downtimes that add to the cost of goods. In order to minimize downtimes as well as damage costs, new and improved surge protection devices have been developed which do not need for resetting or replugging to maintain their functionality. This can reduce the amount of time that systems are offline, and ultimately improve the bottom line of almost any business through a more efficient process. Damage control and avoidance is only a single aspect of lighting and surge protection systems, with efficiency in process playing another major role.

Keeping Telecommunications Online In Inclement Weather

Telecommunications plays a major role in our daily lives as we use our cellular phones to transfer information every day. In many cases this is not critical data, as we have grown to use our cell phones for entertainment purposes. Streaming movies or chatting with friends would be negatively impacted by cellular outages, but this would not be the end of the world for most users. Just like insurance is only there for the times that you need it, telecommunications is only crucial wen you need it. Although we appreciate all the rest of the time when we are using the capabilities of modern cellular networks to transfer information from one user to the next, it is really during emergency situations that we find the cell phone to be a critical tool for survival. Sometimes, life and death can be being decided by the signal that cell phone gets, especially during inclement weather. These are the times when we are not just enjoying good cell phone coverage, but needing it.

Cellular towers represent a prefect target for lightning strikes, especially if they are positioned in remote areas with poor grounding capabilities. These towers not only are constructed of materials that can effectively conduct electricity, but also house components that can be easily damaged by power surges. Both of these things are present when a cell tower is struck by lightning, with the strike usually happening at or near the top of the tower. This impacts the strike point itself, where fire and explosions take place, and also overwhelms the RRH (remote radio head.) This component is essentially the group of machines that receives the signal from your cell phone on the ground. The RRH is directly connected to the BSU (base station unit) which is the group of components that transmits that data received from the RRH to the network itself, and allows for other users to receive it or transmit to it. When the RRH is overwhelmed by a power surge and damaged, the electricity will flow along the connection lines to the BSU and many times overwhelm it as well. This compounds the amount of damage that has happened as a result of a single strike, and almost assures that this particular cell dower will be rendered inoperable until it is repaired. The amount of time that this tower is offline not only increases losses to the company in the form of money, but also increases the potential for loss of life as a result of a user not being able to connect during the time when it is most necessary. To keep cell towers functioning for the maximum periods of time, effective surge protection devices and systems are installed throughout the structure and along all pathways. Through minimization of damage we can increase the uptimes of cellular connection, and ultimately provide more connectivity when it is most necessary and critical. Surge protection is saving lives as well as providing better service to customers.

The Importance Of Surge Protection In Telecommunications

The unfortunate fact with regards to telecommunications is that the very aspects of the physical installation of cellular towers that provide good service are the same ones that make lightning a major threat. While lightning strikes are a threat to nearly everything during an inclement weather incident, cellular towers are especially prone to strike and damage as a result. This is because of the nature of lightning strikes, and the specific necessity of the towers to be tall and unobstructed. They are also usually in relatively remote places, at least not being located specifically within areas of significant human traffic. The cellular signal that is provided and received by your phone on the ground will vary, based upon it’s ability to communicate with the nearest tower which is functional. While it does not need to be visually unobstructed, the signal will be stronger and clearer with the fewest amount of obstructions between them. For this reason, it is generally the plan to mount cellular towers on the tops of buildings, mountains or as the tallest structure for a copious amount of surrounding space. This allows the top of the tower to be within a straight line to your phone on the ground with relatively few obstructions in between. It has been proven that this type of installation will provide the best communication between your phone and the “remote radio head” equipment at the tower top. The need to make position this equipment at the highest point in a region also makes it a direct target for lightning strikes, which take the path of least resistance to the earth. Ultimately, this means that lightning has the propensity to strike the tallest structure which is connected to the ground, in this case more often than not being the top of the tower. The lightning strike to the top will push a significant amount of electricity into the structure, which easily travels along communication and power lines from the equipment at the top to the “base station unit” and equipment at the bottom. This need for communication between the tower top and bottom will provide an added amount of damage as a result of the kind of surge provided by a lightning strike, not isolating the damage to the strike point itself. This is why surge protection equipment and devices must be installed along critical pathways in between the tower top and bottom, so as to salvage equipment that is not located at the strike point itself. Through this mitigation of the amount of equipment damaged by a lightning strike, cellular companies can not only keep prices for service lower by driving down their costs but also keep towers operational for longer periods of time. The minimization of the need for extra maintenance allows for towers that are damaged to come into service quicker, providing better service to the consumers. The result of surge protection integration is better service, lower prices and more consistent connection rates.

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Wind Turbine Surge Protection Systems Improve Efficiency

The two most important ways to improve nearly any system is to reduce the cost of operation and increase the capacities of the product being produced. When it comes to power production, we are talking about reducing the amount of maintenance necessary to keep the exposed elements of the system in working order as well as the costs associated with the components themselves. Traditional methods of power production involve the purchase of a fuel source like coal or oil, which will also impact the prices which are ultimately paid by consumers for the electrical product. Green energy technologies do not need to purchase the fuel source as they utilize natural occurring elements like wind and sun in order to turn turbines which produce electricity. The costs associated with these types of systems are generally in maintenance, as certain characteristics create higher repair costs than fossil fuel systems will have. As an example, we can look at wind power production as a method of producing electricity that has advantages and disadvantages. The advantages over fossil fuels are that there is no pollution being generated through the burning of a fuel source, as well as having the potential to be produced at lower costs in the future. As the technologies involved in systems such as this are improved, the prices associated with production are driven down. Eventually, improvements to the systems will create situations where the power is generated at a lower cost than the comparable fossil fuel systems, ultimately making fossil fuel power systems obsolete. When a production method is both more environmentally damaging and also more expensive, there is no reason for that type of system to be chosen over a better, cleaner method. We are on the verge of this situation with wind power production.

The disadvantages to wind turbine systems are that they are easily damaged by inclement weather and lightning strikes, and have limited capacities as far as production and storage. With regards to the production capacities, power can only be generated when the wind is blowing. This means that through the development of better energy storage systems, we can harness and distribute more electricity even when the wind is not blowing. By developing better methods of avoiding damage as a result of the known primary sources of damage, we can also drive down costs by not only keeping the systems online for longer periods of time but also by reducing costs of maintenance. Wind towers are notoriously difficult to maintain, and any extension of the lifespan of the equipment involved reduces costs significantly. Lightning strikes to the blades and nacelle are difficult to avoid, but through the development of cheaper composite materials we can reduce their replacement costs. Even more impactful is the development of improved surge protection systems that can be integrated into wind towers in order to isolate damage of a lightning strike to the strike point itself. Lightning strikes produce power surges which move from the strike point through the system and overwhelm computerized equipment attached. By isolating the surge to the area around the strike point, we can protect the equipment downstream and further drive down costs. Eventually, this will result in cheaper power being produced by wind towers then by fossil fuel systems.

Why Surge Protection Systems Are Necessary On Wind Turbines

Climate conditions are continually changing, and when combined with an ever-increasing global dependence on fossil fuels, the worldwide interest in sustainable and renewable energy and resources grows every year. From those who are adamantly pushing for renewable energy to be adopted in a more widespread way due to climate change concerns, to those who are interested in renewal models as a method of creating cheaper power for the masses, all interest revolves around the development of more technologically advanced wind turbines and solar panels. Wind power is seen across the globe as being one of the most promising technologies, with ample room for improvement to the systems. Aggressive government programs in nations across the world have pushed wind and solar energy to evolve at a far faster rate than ever expected, and the rollout of new wind turbines in all of these countries is seeing exponential growth. Along with the installation of every new wind turbine comes the risk of that turbine being struck by lightning and seriously damaged. Lightning protection for wind turbines has become one of the most challenging and yet important aspects of the future of green energy.

Wind turbines are unique structures, being mostly made of metal and generally situated as the tallest structure in a region. They are difficult to protect using the conventional surge protection methods, and many times will be sacrificed after a single surge instance. Wind towers can easily be more than 150 meters in height and located on high ground in remote areas which are exposed to the elements. The most exposed of the components within a wind turbine are the blades and nacelle, and due to their being constructed from composite materials, are generally unable to sustain a direct lightning strike without significant damage. The lightning strike often happens to the blades, creating a situation where a significant power surge travels throughout the turbine structure and impacts all of the components within the windturbine itself. It can also spread to the electrically-connected areas nearby as well, and do to poor earthing conditions that are present, most wind power setups will very often see significant damage as a result of a single strike and surge.

Electronics and bearings are very susceptible to lightning damage, and maintenance costs are high due to the difficulties associated with component replacement. Improving this statistical average of necessary component replacement is seen by many as the most viable method of technologically improving the wind power systems to remain online and functional for longer periods of time. Additionally, driving down production costs by eliminating maintenance and field maintenance calls as much as possible is also positive. This plan falls squarely in the lap of surge protection systems which are designed to isolate damage as much as possible to the strike point and eliminate the subsequent damage because of the surge. As better surge protection devices are integrated into wind farms worldwide, we will see both the driving down of costs as well as improved volumes of energy production over time.

Friday, August 28, 2020

The Need For Industrial Surge Protection

Microprocessors and other forms of sensitive electronic equipment is depended upon fine much of today’s industrial and professional systems in place within industrial businesses. This means that nearly every aspect of our lives are more dependent upon have been higher levels of protection from electrical surges than ever. The logic controls and embedded microprocessors, as well as computers and other devices all utilized electronic circuitry in the automation process. Motor speed and machine programming as well as tool changes within the sophisticated manufacturing systems of today’s industrial businesses are especially vulnerable to these types of mishaps. Power surges wreak have a on processes high cost and interruptions and catastrophic failures, as well as creating premature aging of computer equipment. Through the use of industrial surge protection devices, industrial processes and manufacturers can mitigate the ongoing problems and disruptions caused by surge events.

There are multiple types a surge events which are externally generated, ranging from grid switching to lightning strikes. These problems present themselves at random times over and above the damage that is caused by internally generated surges. Overvoltage events they are created by the utilities themselves as well as power fluctuations which are created by machinery operating in other areas of the same facility will all have an adverse effect on both the machinery and processes themselves as well as the productivity. Facility-wide surge protection must be in place at home of the stages of the electrical distribution system, ranging from single-phase loads all the way to the electrical service entrance. Only industrial grade surge protection devices are acceptable solutions to mitigating the issues created by these surge events.

Lightning strikes can happens either directly to the equipment or locally to the power lines which are connected to the equipment operating inside of the facility. The direct strike is a rare occurrence but will cause extensive damage if not properly protected against. Direct lightning strikes on high voltage lines as well as other metallic structures are mitigated through the use of grounding air terminals and shielding above the structures. This type of protection does not remove the risks associated with lightning damage which happens down line, nor does it helped to reduce the severity of damage when it does happen. Local strikes damage equipment by creating the massive power surge which utilizes power lines enter into buildings in order to overwhelm equipment downstream. Equipment damage of this type can happen as a result of lightning strikes that occurred not only outside of the facility but miles away. This is why surge protection devices should be installed as close to the equipment as possible for optimal operation. There are many different types of events which can create power surges, all having the same types of damaging effects on the systems that are relied upon within any businesses. Through the installation of technologically advanced surge protection devices which are manufactured to handle industrial grade loads, business can maintain a more stable schedule as well as seeing them are wards of equipment life span extension.