Lightning Master
2Pages

LIGHTNING PROTECTION FOR BOATS: A THREE-PRONGED ATTACK Lightning Master™ STATIC DISSIPATER PROVEN, PATENTED TECHNOLOGY LIGHTNING PROTECTION FOR YOUR EQUIPMENT Part No. 151100 Description Lightning MasterTM 5.2 oz 21” Long These points will also be the points from which streamers tend to originate on your boat. Various objects on your boat exhibit different behavior in forming streamers, and you can use that to your advantage. Streamer formation can be explained by examining the debate over the relative value of a blunt versus a pointed lightning rod. A blunt rod will tend not to break down into ionization until under a relatively high potential, i.e. it is difficult for the cloud charge to ions off the blunt point. However, under the high potential of an approaching stepped leader, the blunt rod, when it finally breaks down, emits a relatively long streamer upward towards the approaching stepped leaders. A pointed rod, on the other hand, breaks down into ionization under a relatively lower potential, i.e. it is easy for the cloud charge to pull ions off the sharp point. The ionization, or corona, around the sharp point does not allow a streamer to extend very far upward. Thus a sharply pointed rod is less likely to be struck. The same effect explains the operation of a static dissipater. Since a dissipater employs a multiplicity of very sharp points, it retards the formation of upward streamers. The sharper the points employed, the greater the effect. By installing static dissipaters on the natural charge accumulation points of your boat, you will inhibit the mechanisms which cause direct lightning strikes, and therefore reduce the likelihood of a direct strike to your boat. At any given moment, there are some 1,800 active electrical storms throughout the world, producing 100 lightning flashes per second, or about 8,000,000 lightning flashes per day. About 20%, or 1,600,000 of these flashes, are cloud to ground. All it takes is one strike to your boat to ruin your whole day. Forespar Products Corp. 22322 Gilberto 22322 Gilberto Rancho Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 Phone (949) 858-8820 Fax (949) 858-0505 Phone (949) 858-8820 Fax (949) 858-0505 Email sales@forespar.com www.forespar.com Website www.forespar.com For the past 200 years, lightning protection has been centered around the traditional lightning rod. The lightning rod has come to represent lightning protection. But, what about damage caused by other than a direct strike? What about high exposure installations where a conventional lightning rod system may not be entirely practical, or where it may not be enough – what about a boat? THE LIGHTNING PHENOMENON As the storm cloud builds, various mechanisms create a stratified charge within the storm cloud, with an electrical charge at the base of the cloud. As the storm cloud travels through the atmosphere, it induces an opposite charge on the surface of the earth. A simple way to look at it is to remember that like charges repel and opposite charges attract. The charge on the base of the storm cloud simply pushes away the same charge on the surface of the earth beneath it, and draws in and concentrates a “shadow” of opposite charge beneath it. As the storm cloud travels along over the earth’s surface, it drags the ground charge along beneath it. When the ground charge reaches your boat, the storm cloud charge pulls it up on your boat. If, before the storm cloud travels away, it manages to concentrate enough ground charge on your boat so that the difference in potential between the storm cloud charge and your boat exceeds the dielectric strength (resistance to conducting electricity) of the intervening air, the air breaks down electrically, and a potential equalizing arc occurs; a lightning strike. When the intervening air breaks down, the strike itself begins with the propagation of stepped leaders. Stepped leaders originate within the cloud charge, and extend in jumps of a few hundred feet at a time towards the earth. These are the wispy, downward reaching branches of light you see in photograph of a strike. When the stepped leaders reach to within several hundred feet of the ground, the rapidly building electrical field on the ground causes objects on the ground to break down electrically and respond by emitting streamers to jump upward. When a stepped leader and a streamer meet, the ionized channel becomes the path for the main lightning discharge. The other stepped leaders and streamers never mature, and disappear. When the ionized path is completed, the current discharge occurs. Although a lightning strike appears to be a single flash, it is actually a series of flashes. Lightning flashes for approximately one one-thousandth of a second then shuts off for about two one-hundredths of a second, flashes for one one-thousandth of a second then shuts off for about two one-hundredths of a second. This process repeats until the potential differential is no longer sufficient to continue the discharge. Occurrences of lightning flashing over forty times within a single strike have been recorded. The above applies to a negative, or so-called ground strike. During a positive, or ground-to-cloud strike, the charges and direction of propagation are reversed. LIGHTNING DAMAGE An average lightning strike conveys about 20,000 amps, and discharges of up to 200,000 amps can occur. The temperature of the core of the strike can reach 30,000 degrees Kelvin; five times the surface temperature of the sun. This current flow and heat buildup can cause physical damage and fires. In an effort to continue to ground, a strike to your masthead may arc from a shroud chain plate to the water, leaving a burn mark down the side of your boat. Or, worse yet, if the path to ground is through your keel stepped ungrounded mast, lightning may burn through the bottom of your boat. At least any resulting fire is extinguished when the boat sinks. Another source of lightning damage is found in the secondary effect. During a lightning strike, the point on the surface of the ear th at which the strike occurs is relatively vacated of ground charge. The area surrounding the point of the strike remains highly charged, causing an almost instantaneous potential gradient across the area. The surrounding area releases its charge to the point at which the strike occurred, causing a flow of current. This current flow can arc across any gaps in its path. If that arc takes place within a flammable material, it can cause a fire or explosion. Id it takes place on a circuit board, it can damage the circuit board. If the arc takes place within a bearing, it can scar the bearing and cause premature wear. If the arc takes place between the stern pulpit and the wheel, it can scar the helmsman. Lightning Master TM is the trademark of the Lightning Master Corporation whose products are protected by U.S. patent. Neither Forespar Products Corp. nor Lightning Master Corp. warrant or guarantee this device will stop Lightning from striking your boat. No one can. This product has been shown to greatly reduce the odds of communications towers and sailboat masts’ from being struck but nothing is 100%