NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DURGAPUR

High voltage engineering

ASSIGNMENT – 1
GROUP-1
ROLL NUMBER: 15/EE/02 – 15/EE/10
DATE:09/02/2018

Lightning Mechanism:
Although there is still some debate in the scientific community about how the electrification of
clouds actually occurs, it is agreed that the separation of positive and negative charges must occur
within a cloud for lightning to take place. It is also generally agreed that ice must be present within a
developing storm for it to eventually form lightning.
The turbulent wind environment of a thunderstorm with its updrafts and downdrafts is an ideal
environment to separate electric charges: negative charges generally gather near the base of the
cloud, while positive charges build in the upper reaches of the cloud. This allows electric fields to
form and grow between the cloud and the ground and within the cloud itself - all necessary
conditions for lightning to occur.

Since similar-charged objects repel each-other and opposite-charged objects attract each other,
negative charges then begin to spread out near the base of the cloud. At the same time, positive
charges start to build underneath the storm. This region of positive charges travels underneath the
cloud, almost like a shadow. The positive charges tend to concentrate on tall objects, like trees,
poles and buildings.
A cloud-to-ground lightning strike starts as a channel of negative charges makes its path towards
the ground. This occurrence is known as a stepped leader. The stepped leader continues towards the
ground in a series of steps that are each about 50 to 100 metres in length. This stepped leader can
branch out in many directions.
A lightning strike, is usually made up of more than one stroke of lightning. After the initial strongest
stroke, subsequent weaker strokes can follow which usually (but not always) follow the same path of
the initial stroke.
it appears to flicker. If it takes a bit of a different path, it can appear to dance. On average, there are
usually three to four subsequent strokes but the number can be as high as over twenty.
Cloud-to-ground lightning is the most dangerous and damaging form of lightning. Despite this,
lightning within a cloud or that goes from cloud-to-cloud is the most common type of lightning. This
type of lightning looks like a bright flicker in a cloud. For every cloud-to-ground strike, there can be
three to five cloud-to-cloud strikes

• What is upward Leader?

Ans.: In response to the discharge of negative charges coming from the cloud base, currents of
positive charges start moving upward from the ground, usually along elevated objects; these are
called streamers or upward leaders.
When the stepped leader and the upward leader meet, usually between 30 to 100 metres above the
ground, the negative charges begin to flow downward. Almost instantaneously, a much larger and
This is known as the return stroke, and it is also what we see in the sky that is known as lightning.
This whole process occurs so quickly (in less than one second!) that the lightning appears to travel
from the cloud to the ground, when in fact, the opposite is true.

Commented [m1]:
Ground-cloud lightning Cloud-ground lightning

Cloud-to-ground lightning is the most dangerous and damaging form of lightning. Despite
this, lightning within a cloud or that goes from cloud-to-cloud is the most common type of
lightning. This type of lightning looks like a bright flicker in a cloud. For every cloud-to-
ground strike, there can be three to five cloud-to-cloud strikes.

Another type of lightning occurs when some strokes actually emit from the ground into the
sky. In this case, the stepped leader proceeds from the ground towards the cloud. It is called
Ground-to-cloud lightning.

• What is the current distribution in string type of INSULATOR?

The current cannot pass inside the insulator, but a path of relatively low resistance exists over the
surface. This is actually the interface between insulator surface and the air. This path has low
resistance than the air around insulator. This is more accurately called surface leakage current path.
A small amount of leakage current flows over this path and can never be eliminated at all. However,
very low levels of leakage currents have been achieved in modern insulator designs. Before
invention of polymeric insulators, the ceramic insulators with reasonably low leakage current were
common. Such insulator are still available in form of discs of different size and diameters. This
insulator can be attached together to make an insulator for any voltage level.
The lower side of discs has the grooves. These are meant to increase the surface leakage path and,
hence, leakage resistance. Leakage resistance is directly proportional to length of surface of insulator
from energized end to dead end. The increase in leakage resistance decrease the leakage current. If
we don’t use such a grooved structure then we have to increase the overall length of insulator string
by adding more discs; this approach is not cost effective. But the more several problem is the
increase of the swing of conductors attached to it. It may result is sever conductor vibration and
even breaking of conductor.

• Why ROD type of lightning arrester is used rather than disk type of lightning arrestor?
Properly designed conventional lightning protection systems for ground-based structures serve to
provide lightning attachment points and paths for the lightning current to follow from the
attachment points into the ground without harm to the protected structure. Such systems are
basically composed of three elements: 1) “air terminals” at appropriate points on the structure to
intercept the lightning, 2) “down conductors” to carry the lightning current from the air terminals
toward the ground, and 3) “grounding electrodes” to pass the lightning current into the earth.
The three system components must be electrically well connected. Many national and international
standards describe conventional lightning protection systems.
The lightning stepped leader, the process that initiates a cloud-to-ground flash, begins in the cloud
charge region (near 5-km height in temperate summer for the typical flash that lowers negative
charge) and propagates toward Earth at a typical average speed of 105 m s−1. The charge on the
leader channel (effectively drained from the cloud charge source) produces an electric field near the
earth’s surface that is enhanced by objects projecting above the surface such as trees and grounded
air terminals on structures. When the leader is tens to hundreds of meters above ground, this
electric field becomes large enough to produce electrical breakdown between the leader tip and the
ground or between the leader tip and one of the elevated objects. Such electrical breakdown, which
occurs in long laboratory sparks at an average gap electric field of a few hundred kilovolts per meter
involves one or more upward-connecting leaders emanating from the ground or from grounded
objects. One of these upward-connecting leaders meets one of the branches of the downward
propagating leader and establishes a conducting path between cloud and ground.
This area under the straight line from the rod tip to the ground was called the “zone or cone of
protection.” Negative lightning leaders advance in discrete steps of 45.7 m (150 ft) as they advance
from cloud to earth. When the leader is within 45.7 m (150 ft) of the earth, the leader will be
attracted to a object.
For a disc type of lightning arrester there is no point object where the lightning leader can be
attracted. For that the disc type of lightning arrester is a failure as a protection for high rise buildings
and instruments .
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Reference :
1. A CRITICAL REVIEW OF NONCONVENTIONAL APPROACHES TO LIGHTNING PROTECTION
BY M. A. UMAN AND V. A. RAKOV
2. Lightning Protection Systems: Advantages and Disadvantages
By Donald W. Zipes, Fellow, IEEE
3. MONITORING OF LEAKAGE CURRENT FOR COMPOSITE
INSULATORS AND ELECTRICAL DEVICES