COMPLIANCE TO NF C17-

C17-102,
ISO9000

ESE
Early Streamer Emission
Lightning Rod

PDC Series
 COMPLIANCE TO NF C17-
C17-102,
ISO9000

What is Lightning?
Lightning, an awesome and
terrifying natural phenomenon is
really nothing more than an
electrical discharge that happens to
be at an enormous voltage.
Lightning is an electrical discharge,
which equalizes a difference of
electrical potential, whether it is
between a cloud and the ground,
between two clouds, or between two
different areas of the same cloud.
Storm clouds build up layers of
positive and negative electrical
charges within themselves and concentrate electrical charges on the ground as a
“shadow” below them. Due to various mechanisms in a storm cloud formations, such
as the rising and falling of air currents carrying moisture and ice particles in the cloud,
the storm cloud generates an electrical charge at the base of the cloud, which will
accumulate an opposite electrical charge on the ground below it. This is the shadow
that we mentioned earlier. This shadow of charge on the ground and the resulting
electrical discharge, or lightning strike, is what we are most interested in protecting our
clients from.

Types of Damage
There are three types of lightning damage: a direct lightning strike, secondary effect,
and electromagnetic. The first and most physically impressive type of damage is
sustained from a direct lightning strike. Secondary effect damage is caused by the
movement of electrical charge from the surrounding area to the point of a lightning
strike. This movement of charge, caused by the difference of potential between the
strike point and the surrounding area, produces an electrical current through the
ground. The third type of lightning damage is the electromagnetic effect, as is known by
general electrical theory, if a magnetic field is passed back and forth across a conductor,
this will induce or create an electrical charge on the conductor. The on and off arcing of
a lightning strike, which produces an electromagnetic pulse, will induce electrical
currents in conducrive materials.
 COMPLIANCE TO NF C17-
C17-102,
ISO9000

ALLTEC Company OVERVIEW

ALLTEC Corporation is a global leaderin the design, manufacture, and installation of
lightning dissipation and grounding systems. During our company’s eleven-year history,
our focus has been continuously set on innovating new technology, improving product
quality and customer services. ALLTEC Corporation offers a comprehensive facility
protection approach to solving the most difficult lightning, grounding and poiwer
quality problems throughout the world.

The foundation of our business is the foundation of any good lightning protection or
electrical system, and that is grounding. We have experienced technicians available to
perform on site testing to determine soil resistance and specific grounding conditions
at your facility. Our state of art engineering department can design a grounding system
to meet or exceed your ground resistance and performance specifications.

ALLTEC Corporation has engineered and now manufactures the Lightning protection
system which is advanced system that mitigates the opportunity for direct lightning
strike to any structure that it is installed on. Our innovative engineering department is
capable of custom designing the direct and indirect surge protection system for any
commercial and industrial building, military structures, petrol-chemical facilities, data
and telecommunications centers, broadcast and wireless towers, storage tanks or any
other structure that requires protection from lightning.
 COMPLIANCE TO NF C17-
C17-102,
ISO9000

Lightning Rods with PDC Air Terminal

The specific function of the PDC Air
Terminal is to produce an ionization
directed toward the cloud. An PDC Air
Terminal generates an advance in the
upward leader ( acceleration in the upward
streamer ) when compared with a single
point.

It is adequate for the protection of buildings

and open public access areas and all types
of structures used for commercial,
industrial, agricultural or administrative
purposes.

• 100% discharge efficiency

• Level of protection classified as very
high
• Guarantees electrical continuity and
continued function after receiving
repetitive lightning discharge
• External power supply not necessary
• Maintenance not necessary
• Contain streamer anticipating unit
• Contain an electro-atmospheric
condenser which is guaranteed to
function in any atmospheric condition
• Includes an atmospheric accelerator
• Insulation guarantee

Key Point To Lightning Protection

The mechanics of lightning formation and discharge shows clearly the major points to
be considered in an effective lightning protection:
z The formation of lightning cannot be avoided, the only effective solution is to
control the reception and passing through of the discharge
z Lightning can only be influenced in the last few metres before it discharges to
ground
z The lightning stroke will be determined by the starting point of the upward
leader from the ground ( strike point ).
 COMPLIANCE TO NF C17-
C17-102,
ISO9000

Protection
The main characteristic of PDC series
triggering devices is the streamer
emission ealier than the rest of the
surrounding objects. This characteristic
is call the average gain in the time of
upward leader emission and is
measurable in a laboratory. This gain in
time determines the zone of protection
of each model.

According to Standards UNE 21186 and NF C17-102, the radius of protection of an ESE
air terminal is calculated as follows:

Rp = √h(2D-h)+∆L(2D+∆L)
for h > 5m

Where h is the most length ( height

subtraction between the lightning
conductor tip and the referred horizontal
plan ), D is a parameter of the
electrogeometric model that takes
different values depending on the
protection level:

Model ∆T (µS)
PDC 3.3 PDC 4.3 PDC 5.3 PDC 6.3
Model
Level I PDC3.3 25
D = 20m 45m 54m 63m 70m
PDC4.3 34
Level II
D = 45m 65m 74m 84m 92m
PDC5.3 43
Level III
D = 60m 75m 85m 95m 102m
PDC6.3 52
 COMPLIANCE TO NF C17-
C17-102,
ISO9000

Laboratory Tests
ESE Air Terminal Qualification Test
Determination of the gain in time of upward leader emission ( Δt ).
Applied Stanards: Following the procedure given in the Stanard UNE 21 186 and NF C
17-102.

Two plain, large dimensional and parallel electrodes simulate the cloud and the earth
respectively. The upper electrode will a circular metallic plate, diameter 3’5m, inserted
into a circular section toroid in order to avoid likely spreads at the plate’s edge due to
corona effect. This horizontal upper electrode will be distanced three m from the lower
one, which is similary dimensioned ( picture ).
The lightning conductor will be placed centred, electrically bonded to the lower
electrode and its tip will remains at least tested two m below the upper electrode. Thus,
the device being tested will be exposed to an electric field which is homogeneous
enough, achieving the free evolution of the discharge through the air.

Test Procedure
To reproduce the atmospheric electric field in storm conditions, the upper electrode will
be subjected to a 75kV DC voltage. Next, the electrical effects of downward leader
approaching will be simulated. This variation in the elctric field at ground level is
achieved by applying to the upper electrode a switching impulse which has been
obtained from a generator.
The test is achieved by applying a minimium of 100 discharge onto the lightning
conductor with its triggering device out work ( a conventional Franklin rod ) and then,
another 100 discharges but with its triggering device in function. The ambient
temperature in the test cell shall not more than 50 during the test, neither humidity more
than 10 per cent.

Results
A photomultiplier ( which will detect light emission at the tip ) and the adequate
registers will allow us to measure the time between the moment when the impulse is
applied and the instant when the upward leader is initiated.
The subtraction between average times of breakdown for one and the other case is the
At factor ( gain in time of upward leader emission ), characteristic of each model of the
tested PDC series lightning rod.
ΔT = T PR - TPDC