LIGHTNING ARRESTER

External Ait Terminal

A lightning rod or lightning conductor is a metal rod mounted on a structure and intended to protect the structure from a lightning strike. If lightning hits the structure, it will preferentially strike the rod and be conducted to ground through a wire or strip, instead of passing through the structure, where it could start a fire or cause electrocution. Lightning rods are also called finials, air terminals, or strike termination devices.

In a lightning protection system, a lightning rod is a single component of the system. The lightning rod requires a connection to earth to perform its protective function. Lightning rods come in many different forms, including hollow, solid, pointed, rounded, flat strips, or even bristle brush-like. The main attribute common to all lightning rods is that they are all made of conductive materials, such as copper and aluminum. Copper and its alloys are the most common materials used in lightning protection.

The parts of a lightning protection system are air terminals (lightning rods or strike termination devices), bonding conductors, ground terminals (ground or "earthing" rods, plates, or mesh), and all of the connectors and supports to complete the system. The air terminals are typically arranged at or along the upper points of a roof structure, and are electrically bonded together by bonding conductors (called "down conductors" or "downleads"), which are connected by the most direct route to one or more grounding or earthing terminals.

As buildings become taller, lightning becomes more of a threat. Lightning can damage structures made of most materials, such as masonry, wood, concrete, and steel, because the huge currents and voltages involved can heat materials to high temperatures. The heat causes a potential for structure fire, and its rapidity can lead to explosive damage as well.

ESE Air Terminal System

An Early Streamer Emission air terminal, also known as ESE or as an ionizing lightning rod, is an external lightning protection system with innovative technology. This ESE air terminal is also known as an active lightning rod.

An Early Streamer Emission air terminal is designed to reduce the average statistic time associated with streamer emission of the upward leader. An ESE Air Terminal presents a gain in early streamer emission time compared to a Simple Rod device, placed in the same conditions. The gain is evaluated in a high voltage laboratory.The ESE Air Terminal has been extensively tested at an independent high voltage laboratory in accordance with the requirements of French NF C 17-102.

Spike Air Terminal System

Spike Lightning Arrestor is a metal rod, made of copper and, used as part of lightning safety to protect tall or isolated structures (such as the roof of a building or the mast of a vessel) from lightning damage. Lightning rods come in many different forms, including hollow, solid, pointed, rounded, flat strips, or even bristle brush-like. The main attribute common to all lightning rods is that they are all made of conductive materials,