Advanced Lightning Protection for High-Risk Industries

Introduction

Lightning strikes pose a significant threat to high-risk facilities, including oil and gas plants, mines, explosive storage sites, and data centres. These environments house sensitive equipment, hazardous materials, and critical infrastructure that, if struck, can suffer severe damage, leading to costly downtime or, worse, catastrophic incidents like fires or explosions. Implementing an effective lightning protection system is not just a regulatory requirement—it’s essential for safeguarding both assets and lives.

At Cape Electric, we provide comprehensive lightning protection solutions, tailored to the unique needs of high-stakes industries. Our offerings include lightning simulation, isolated and attached lightning protection systems, and electrically insulated lightning protection with down conductors and lightning rods tested for 100kV lightning impulse to ensure that your facility remains safe and operational during severe weather conditions.

The Role of Lightning Simulation

A critical first step in designing any lightning protection system is lightning simulation. This process involves a detailed risk assessment to understand the potential impact of lightning strikes on your facility.

Our lightning simulation goes beyond typical strike analysis. It can model the temperature rise at potential strike points, which is especially critical for explosive atmospheres like those in oil and gas or explosive storage facilities. When a lightning strike occurs, it can cause a sharp increase in temperature at the point of impact. This rapid temperature rise can become a significant hazard if it ignites flammable gases or vapours in the surrounding atmosphere.

By simulating this temperature rise, we can predict areas of heightened risk and design customized solutions to minimize these dangers. For instance, we can recommend the strategic placement of isolated lightning protection systems to prevent sparks in high-risk zones or electrically insulated solutions that ensure surges do not transfer to critical areas.

Lightning current distribution

Energy through the system

Dangers of Step and Touch Potentials Due to Lightning Strikes

Beyond direct strikes, step and touch potentials present significant risks in the aftermath of a lightning strike. When lightning strikes the ground or a structure, it creates a potential difference in the surrounding area.
- 1. Step Potential: This occurs when there is a voltage difference between two points on the ground, typically affecting individuals walking near the strike area. A person stepping across these points could experience a dangerous electric shock.
- 2. Touch Potential: This occurs when a person is touching a structure (such as a fence, machinery, or building) that is at a different potential than the ground they are standing on, leading to an electric shock.
In high-risk facilities like oil and gas plants and mines, step and touch potentials can be life-threatening, especially if they occur near flammable materials. Our lightning simulation capabilities allow us to map out these potential hazards and design targeted solutions, such as equipotential bonding, earthing arrangements, and strategic placement of conductors to minimize these risks.

Step Voltage measurement

Isolated Lightning Protection: Safety in High-Risk Environments

Isolated lightning protection systems are ideal for sites where the risk of fire or explosion must be minimized. These systems ensure that the discharge path of a lightning strike remains completely separate from the structure, preventing electrical surges from coming into contact with sensitive or hazardous areas. This system uses lightning rods and down conductors that are rigorously tested for 100kV lightning impulse to ensure they can withstand the extreme conditions of a lightning strike. This testing guarantees that the system can safely handle the powerful surge energy, reducing the risk of system failure during an actual strike.

For oil and gas facilities, where explosive gases and flammable liquids are often present, this isolation is crucial. A lightning strike could otherwise cause a spark or ignition, leading to dangerous incidents. By using advanced materials and installation techniques, we create a safe discharge path that keeps your facility protected while maintaining operational safety.

Attached Lightning Protection: Direct Dissipation for Robust Safety

In environments where direct contact with the structure is less of a concern, attached lightning protection systems provide a reliable solution. These systems use lightning rods and conductor networks that are directly attached to the structure, safely guiding lightning energy into the ground.

This approach is particularly suitable for data centres, where protecting the physical structure and the technology inside is essential. With the right protection in place, sensitive equipment is shielded from surges that could cause data loss, system failures, or significant downtime.

Electrically Insulated Lightning Protection: Essential for Oil and Gas
For facilities that handle flammable or explosive materials, such as oil refineries, gas processing plants, and explosive storage sites, electrically insulated lightning protection systems provide an added layer of safety. These systems are designed to prevent any electrical charge from transferring to the structure, which is critical in environments where even a small electrical spark could trigger an explosion. This system uses lightning rods and down conductors that are rigorously tested for 100kV lightning impulse to ensure they can withstand the extreme conditions of a lightning strike. This testing guarantees that the system can safely handle the powerful surge energy, reducing the risk of system failure during an actual strike.
By isolating the lightning protection system from the main building or storage facility, the risk of transferring hazardous electrical surges is minimized. This method is not only compliant with industry standards but also significantly enhances safety for workers and equipment. The figure on the right shows an Electrically insulated lightning rod and down conductor tested for 100 kV lightning impulse.

Conclusion: Secure Your Facility with Advanced Lightning Protection

Lightning protection isn’t just about compliance—it’s about ensuring safety, protecting investments, and keeping operations running smoothly. At Cape Electric, we offer customized solutions that cater to the unique needs of oil and gas facilities, mines, explosive storage sites, and data centres. With our expertise, including systems that are tested for 100kV lightning impulse, you can be confident that your facility is well-protected against even the most severe lightning events.