Conventional Lighting Rod VS Predischarge Lighting Rod

Lightning protection is a system engineering, and a lightning protection system includes external direct lightning protection, inductive lightning protection and grounding system. Direct lightning strikes are the root of the most serious lightning accidents. An important measure to prevent direct lightning strikes is to install appropriate lightning rods. There are two types of lightning protection devices on the market. This article provides a scientific method for selecting lightning protection products by comparing two types of lightning rods.

Conventional lightning rod

At present, most of the lightning protection of buildings and other facilities use the "Franklin" lightning rod. Its characteristic is that it uses its high position to make the electric field in the lower part of the thundercloud distorted, and the lightning is led by itself to replace the protected object to receive lightning strike, and the lightning current is discharged into the ground. Lightning is delivered to the earth at the fastest speed through a low-impedance metal conductor, so that the protected building or tower is not side-fired and charged. Practice has proved that it is a cost-effective means of protection, but this lightning rod discharge is passive and the protection range is small.

Pre-discharge Lighting Rod

The pre-discharge lightning rod is an active attack method to intercept the lightning strike. Under the same conditions, it triggers an upward heading ahead of the conventional lightning receptor. A single building or metal part on the ground may generate several upward pilots, which meet with the descending pilot. The first upstream pilot determines the location of the lightning strike. The ESE lightning rod is to produce a faster heading than the ordinary lightning rod. In the position away from the protected building, lightning strikes occur in advance to achieve the purpose of protecting the building.

Comparison of two different types of lightning rods

Two different types of lightning rods come from two different lightning protection concepts. 

The working mechanism of conventional lightning rods is to introduce lightning into the ground. The ordinary and single lightning rods cannot meet the requirements of modern lightning protection in certain areas. The pre-discharge lightning rod adopts the method of actively intercepting the lightning strike. Under the same conditions, it triggers an upward heading ahead of the conventional lightning receptor, and generates lightning strikes at a relatively distant distance from the protected building, which plays a better protection role.

The design of the exterior is quite different. Conventional lightning rods are mostly rod-shaped, and there are also mesh, wire, and spherical types. The shape of the lightning rod for early discharge is various and varied.

Differences in protection features. Conventional lightning rods can only passively accept lightning strikes, which can be used to attract lightning into the ground. Pre-discharge lightning rods are equipped with special electronic components, which can enhance the lightning intensity and effectively reduce the pulse front steepness of lightning current.

There are certain differences in the design principles of two different types of lightning rods, and people's expectations are not the same. We believe that with the advancement of technology and the increasing demand of people, both types of lightning rods have their own markets.