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March, 2013
License Agreement
1. GRANT OF LICENSE. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Agreement, Sparta Lightning Protection grants to Licensee a non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the software Sparkta. This license is solely for the use of the Software by the Customer on a single computer. Licensee may not, however, transfer or sublicense the Licensed Program to any third party, in whole or in part, in any form, whether modified or unmodified. 2. TERM OF LICENSE. The license will continue perpetually from the date of purchase. The Customer may transfer the Software to another computer, provided that the Software may not be used on more than one computer at any given time. 3. TRIAL VERSION. Use of the Software Product without purchase of a License shall be limited to evaluation purposes only. The Licensee shall have the right within a maximum period of 30 days starting from the date of first use of the software. Any kind of distribution of the software is prohibited. 4. MAINTENANCE, SUPPORT AND UPDATES. For a period of one year following the purchase of the Software, updates and new versions are free of costs. In order to receive updates after the first year it is necessary to pay an annual maintenance fee. The first year and the annual maintenance fee also provide technical support by email. 5. COPYRIGHT. The Software is copyrighted, and all rights therein are reserved by Sparta Lightning Protection. The Software Product is licensed, not sold. 6. LIMITED WARRANTY. The Customer assumes all responsibility for the selection of the Software as appropriate to achieve the results intended by the Customer. Licensor does not warrant that the functions contained in the Software will meet licensee's requirements or that the operation of the Software will be uninterrupted or error free. 7. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. In no event will Sparta Lightning Protection be liable for any amount of incidental, consequential or other indirect damages arising out of the Customers use of the Software, including, lost profits, interruption of business or any incidental or consequential damages. 8. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. The Customer acknowledges that has read and understands this agreement, and agrees to be bound by all its terms and conditions.
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Contents
1 2 3 4 5 Introduction................................................................................................................................................ 4 Interface ..................................................................................................................................................... 4 Creating a new project ............................................................................................................................... 5 Settings ....................................................................................................................................................... 5 Adding physical data .................................................................................................................................. 6 5.1 5.2 6 Roofs ................................................................................................................................................... 7 Air terminals ....................................................................................................................................... 9
Editing physical data.................................................................................................................................10 6.1 6.2 Roofs .................................................................................................................................................10 Air terminals .....................................................................................................................................11
Deleting physical data ..............................................................................................................................12 7.1 7.2 Roofs .................................................................................................................................................12 Air terminals .....................................................................................................................................13
8 9 10 11 12
Saving a Project ........................................................................................................................................14 Opening a project .....................................................................................................................................15 Visualizing the structures .....................................................................................................................16 Simulating and analyzing results ..........................................................................................................18 Risk assessment ....................................................................................................................................20 Simplified risk assessment................................................................................................................20 Detailed risk assessment ..................................................................................................................22 Creating a report ..................................................................................................................................23 Step by step ..........................................................................................................................................24
12.1 12.2 13 14
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1 Introduction
Sparkta is software for the design of Lightning Protection Systems using the electrogeometric model and the NFPA 780 Risk Assessment methodology. The program is a tool for carry out designs that ensure user defined lightning risk levels using the least amount of strike termination devices. The methodology of design using Sparkta is an iterative process which consists of adding air terminals only at points which have the greatest likelihood of lightning strikes. Each time, the user adds only one or few air terminals and evaluates the risk. The process finish when the risk components are less than the tolerable values. The program allows the analysis of the protection provided not only by the air terminal but also for other elements such us metallic roofs, chimneys, etc.
2 Interface
The figure below shows the interface provided by Sparkta.
Sparkta consists of a Menu Bar, a Toolbar and two Panes. The menu bar and the toolbar provide access to the data files, graphics, simulation, and other facilities of the program. The left pane provides the access to
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The program will ask if you really want to begin a new project. You will loose the not saved changes in the current project.
4 Settings
The option Settings allows to set the parameters for the simulation. Click on the button
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Discharge Current
User defined name for the current project The user can choose: Probabilistic or Single Current simulation. - Probabilistic: the program simulates flashes with discharge currents according to a distribution of probability. Choose this type of simulation if you want to assess risk. - Single current: the program simulates flashes with a single discharge current or striking distance. Flashes per square kilometer of the place where the project is located. This parameter is needed only if the Probabilistic simulation is selected. Striking distance in meters of the flashes. This parameter is needed only if the Single Current simulation is selected. If the user set this parameter, the program automatically calculates the Discharge Current. Discharge current in kA of the flashes. This parameter is needed only if the Single Current simulation is selected. If the user set this parameter, the program automatically calculates the Striking Distance. The program uses the following relationship between striking distance and discharge current:
D: Striking Distance in meters I: Discharge Current in kA Write the name of the project, select the type of simulation and set the parameters needed. Click on Save to save the changes or Cancel to keep the current settings.
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5.1 Roofs
Each roof is modeled as a quadrilateral or a set of quadrilaterals. To create a new roof, follow the sequence in the figure below. Right Click on Roofs Click on New Roof
The program will show a dialog window with the parameters of the roof.
Select the type of roof you want to add to the physical model. Any roof can be modeled as a set of quadrilaterals, however the program offers the possibility of other types of roofs for make it easier the modeling. Once you select the type of roof, the program displays the required parameters, the dimensions are in meters. The following figure shows the parameters for each type of roof.
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Broken Gable
Hip
mansard
The metallic roofs that have a metal thickness of 4.8 mm (316 in.) or greater and that are connected to the protection system in accordance with Section 4.9 of NFPA 780, can be used as strike termination devices. In this case check the option Metal roof used as strike termination device, the program will assume the flashes to this roofs like to the flashes to the air terminals.
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Set the parameter of the roof and click on Save button to add the new roof or on Cancel button to abort.
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The dimensions are in meters. Set the parameters of the air terminal and click on Save button to add the new air terminal or on Cancel button to abort.
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The user can change both the physical parameters and the name of the roof, the type of the roof cannot be changed. Click on the Save button to save the changes or on Cancel to keep the current parameters.
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The user can change any parameters of the air terminal. Click on Save button to save the changes or on Cancel button to keep the current parameters.
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The program will show the dialog window as in the following figure.
Click on Yes button to delete the selected air terminal or on No button to abort.
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8 Saving a Project
To save the project with the current file name, click on the Save Project button. Click on the button
The program will save the project with the current file name and extension .xml. To save the project with a different file name, click on the Save Project As button. Click on the button
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9 Opening a project
To open an existing project click on the Open Project button. Click on the button
Select the folder and the Sparkta file with .xml extension, click on the Open button to open the project, click on the Cancel button to abort.
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The program will show the plan view of the project. The roofs are shown as quadrilaterals and the air terminals as green dots.
To display the three dimensional view, click on the View 3D button. Click on the button
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The user can zoom the views. The option Zoom In makes the view larger, the option Zoom Out makes the view smaller and the option Zoom to Fit adapts the size of the view to the size of the window. Click on the button
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The simulation can take several minutes depending on the area covered by the project, the number of roofs and the number of air terminals. The progress bar will display the progression of the simulation. When the simulation is over the program will display the plan view with red dots representing the impacts of flashes. The flashes can impact the roofs, the air terminals or ground. With this graphic the user can visualize the points of the structures exposed to direct flashes.
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The results of the last simulation can be deleted by clicking on the Clear Results button. Click on the button
If the user has simulated with the Probabilistic type of simulation option, then the program allows carrying out analysis based on the yearly lightning strike frequency. To do this analysis, click on the Results button. Click on the button
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The results window shows the yearly strike frequency total, tabbed by a range of discharge current and tabbed by roofs. In the results tables the user can identify the roofs with highest direct flash probabilities and decide the most convenient places to install the air terminals.
12 Risk assessment
Sparkta allows the user to assess the lightning risk and design the lightning protections systems to reduce the lightning risk components to tolerable values. Two methods can be used, simplified risk assessment and simplified risk assessment.
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Select the parameters of the structure according to the NFPA 780. The user can calculate the risk using collected area formulas or using the results of the simulation. Check the Use strikes/year from electrogeometric model simulation option to use the results of the simulation; in this case the program uses the yearly lightning strike frequency to the structure calculated in the last simulation and the dimensions of the structure are not needed. This option requires that the user had previously carried out a probabilistic simulation. Click on the Calculate button to calculate the risk.
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Select the parameters of the structure according to the NFPA 780. The user can calculate the risk using collected area formulas or using the results of the simulation. Check the Use strikes/year from simulation option to use the results of the simulation; in this case the program uses the yearly lightning strike
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13 Creating a report
With this option the user can create a report including the input data, the results of the simulation and the risk assessment. Click on the button
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14 Step by step
Using Sparkta the user can carry out the following designs: Design for the installation of strike terminals for a predefined striking distance or discharge current. Design for the installation of strike terminals using simplified risk assessment Design for the installation of strike terminals using detailed risk assessment
The following example shows how to design a lightning protection systems using Sparkta. Depending on the type of design is the procedure. 1. Create a new project
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4. Add the air terminals of the structure and set the parameters.
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