| Points |
ESE
Base Lightning Arrestor |
Traditional
Lightning Arrestor |
| Technology |
Very
latest based upon Early Streamer Emission |
Around
260 years old design based on natural occurring
Corona. |
| Operation
& working principle |
As
the ground charge builds immediately before the
lightning strike, the ESE air terminal accumulates
ground charge. In the instant before the strike,
when the stepped leaders are branching down from
the cloud, the ESE terminal emits a series of
pulses of ground charge, forming a streamer
reaches the stepped leaders before competing
streamers, thereby winning the competition. Ground
charge accumulation and streamer triggering is
done by ESE Air Terminal. |
Depends
on naturally occurring Corona and hence the huge
current flows through the rods and the down
conductors which results in side flashes and earth
potential rise. (i.e. always the rod will wait for
lightning flash to fall on the tip of the rod). In
case of the factories which is using any
chemicals, metals etc. they naturally produce
charges & this may attract the lightning
current on its metal parts. At this time, the
metal part which is emitting charges becomes more
active than the lightning rod which is inactive
& the lightning current will hit on the metal
part rather than hitting the lightning rod. |
| Radius
of protection |
Formula
to calculate the Radius of Protection available,
is approved by National French Standard. The
protection area Rp of a lightning conductor is
calculated according to French Standard NF C
17-102 as under :
 ,
Rp: protection radius.
|
Radius
of protection with conventional rod is very-very
less and hence plenty of rods along with the down
conductors are required. Added to this number of
dedicated earth pits are required in turn to be
connected in a ring method which will eventually
increase the total cost of the project. |
| Earth
Pits |
Since
the current flow through the air terminal to the
ground is very less and hence only one down
conductor i.e. 70mm sq./25x3 mm strip is
sufficient and earth potential rise is very less.
Whereas in conventional the voltage developed will
be always more than 50KV which will in-turn create
problems to equipments. |
As
huge current flows through the rods to the ground
and hence at lot numbers of down conductors are
required. Earth potential rise is also very-very
high. |
| Down
Conductor |
One
or two earth pits are sufficient. |
Large
numbers of earth pits are required. |
| Test |
Tested
in high voltage laboratory and working successfully
all around the world. |
No
test certificates are available. |
| Installation |
Easy
to install |
Involved
large installation cost & complicates the
design to implement. |
| Maintenance |
Maintenance
free operation as there is direct connectivity
from earth terminal to the earth pits. |
Regular
maintenance is required to ensure that the system
is in place as there are lot many of connections
involved. Any loose connections in the loop will
create a flash with nearby wall or equipments etc.
which will create a huge damage to the buildings
or structures. |
| Life |
Approximately
25 years irrespective of number of strikes. |
Metal
object and life depends upon the discharge
current. No test has been carried out on the rod
which is getting to be installed. |
