Franklin France presents you the Saint-Elme®lightning conductor. It results from theresearch work conducted with the French Atomic Energy Commission, and is theefficient, inexpensive and clean protection solution, using piezo – electric ceramics totransform the wind energy into electrical energy.
Principle
A rod – type lightning conductor, connected to earth, efficiently works by altering, at its level,the equipotentials which match the structures of the building it protects. The emergence ofthe lightning conductor is an important factor in increasing the local electric field. The principle of the piezoelectric lightning conductor designed by Franklin France relies onseveral factors : the reinforcement of the local electric field and the early creation of apreferential discharge channel.
Larger zone of protection
The zones of protection of lightning conductors are obtained theoretically by plotting the electrogeometric model, butare comparable in practice, for low heights, to a cone of revolution which apex is the tip of the lightning conductor.
French standard NFC 17-102 deals with early streamer emission (ESE) lightning conductors, and takes into account thelevels of protection Np of varying severity (I to III), to be determined previously by an assessment of the lightning riskfor each project.It defines the installation rules and the radii of protection Rp (m) depending on the average excitation advanceΔ L (m) of the lightning conductors and the excitation distance D (m), considered according to the degree ofseverity : D (I) = 20 m, D (II) = 30 m, D (III) = 45 m, D (IV) = 60 m.
The table hereunder gives the Rp (m) values for the four levels of protection Np depending on the actual height h(m)of the lightning conductor in relation to the different planes considered.