LECO introduces surge protection equipment

A stream of silver lines descending from heavens, lightening surely is impressive to behold. Charming and intriguing as it is, lightening can be lethal too. It has destroyed many a human life and caused quite a lot of damage to electrical equipment as well. Statistics reveal that the occurrence of lightning has aggravated recently, due to various environmental changes all over the world.

Worthiness of classifying lightning strikes

Why does lightening cause so much of damage is worth studying. Actually this cause of damage is due to two different strokes, based on the way of entry of lightning into the building. These strokes are basically known as direct strokes and indirect strokes. Direct lightning happen due to interception of lightning directly on exterior metal part of the building whereas indirect strokes enter into building with interception of lighting on service wires, other structure or induce high voltages on exterior metal parts of the building followed by the strokes which hit nearby ground.

Image Ref - http://www.lps-experts.be/lightning-risks/lightning-and-its-effects/

Selecting a  protection scheme

Worthiness of this study comes into play, when  an appropriate protection scheme  is being selected. These protection methods are chosen according to the level of protection needed from direct or indirect lightning strikes. 

Protection from direct strokes to the building has to be supplemented by air terminals, lightning arresters etc. whereas protection from indirect strokes is just a matter of time. A normal AC circuit breaker takes two factors into account in breaking a circuit, current rating as well as operating time. No matter how large the surge is, if it occurs within a very short period of time, the circuit breakers in your home or in your office won’t detect it. Since induced surges in the supply by lightning too takes place within a very short period of time, the current surge easily passes through normal AC circuit breakers, quite undetected, and these high inrush currents mean nothing but destruction. That is what it enables lightning to cause so much of damage. This scenario gives rise to a necessity of a more sensitive, sophisticated device to handle surges induced by lightning, to ensure the protection of human beings, livestock and the equipment.

Solution from LECO

In order to address the damages cause due to indirect lightning, LECO initiated a project to develop surge protectors, which is supposed to introduce a technology to ensure the protection of the electricity consumers and their equipment. Already, four types of surge protectors have been introduced by LECO, depending on the area of application, namely, surge arrester for single phase supply, surge arrestor for three phase supply, telephone and internet protection device and multimedia protection device.

Once the surge comes these devices get operated and arrest the surge. Until then it has no burden on the electrical system. Moreover, it also can detect subsequent multiple surges. LECO, with its world class test facilities, has ensured a high level of design efficiency, accuracy, quality, and reliability of their new invention using the local engineering technology. 

The electricity consumers who are interested in acquiring  protection from LECO introduced lightning surges, visit http://leco.lk/?page_id=1476 for more information.

Ref - http://powermin.gov.lk/english/?p=2618

Article By: Thisandu Kahingala
Contributed by: Pasan Gunawardana & Dilini Hansika

Posted in: Electrical Industry