The main purpose of a Lightning Protection System is to protect a structure from damage caused by lightning strikes by intercepting such strikes and safely passing the current generated to the ground. A lightning protection system includes a network of air terminals rods, down conductors, and ground electrodes which are designed to provide a conductive path to ground for potential strikes.
Depending on the location and design of the structure a lightning strike poses a grave danger to it and hence lightning protection systems are designed to prevent or lessen lightning strike damage and substantially reduce the fire hazard. It also provides a low-impedance path for the lightning current to lessen the heating effect of current flowing through flammable structural materials.
A lightning strike can carry current up to 200,000 amps, no protection system can guarantee absolute safety from lightning. Lightning current will divide to follow every conductive path to ground, and even the divided current can cause damage.
The parts of a lightning protection system are air terminals rods, down conductors, ground terminals (ground or "earthing" rods, solid plates and earth mats), and all the connectors and clamps used to support or complete the system. The air terminals are typically arranged at or along the upper points of a roof structure, and are bonded together by conductors (called "down conductors"), which are connected by the most direct route to one or more grounding or earthing terminals.
A basic lightning protection system would provide a conductive path between an air terminal and earth, so that most of the lightning's current will follow the path of the lightning protection system.
The majority of lightning protection systems in use today are of the traditional Franklin design. The fundamental principle used in Franklin-type lightning protections systems is to provide a sufficiently low impedance path for the lightning to travel through to reach ground without damaging the building. This is accomplished by surrounding the building in a kind of Faraday cage.
We at RR, design and manufacture all the components which constitutes an effective lightning protection System in their state of art production facility, thus enabling the consultant / designer / contractor to have a one stop shop for all their needs.