Logical Analogy and Electrical Argumentation about Steel Tower as

Down Conductor is in Accordance with

Standard Installation Lightning Protection System

An article for consideration

By:
Januargo
National CME and Design
HCPT Project
Contents
I. Introduction ................................................................................................................. 3
II. Logically Analogy ....................................................................................................... 5
III. Standard References .................................................................................................. 10
IV. Electrically Argumentation Regarding Tower as “down conductor” ........................ 11
V. Currently Cases and The Analysis ............................................................................ 14
VI. Conclusion and Solusion Proposal ........................................................................... 16

Author : Januargo S. Baskoro 2

Date : Feb 04, 2008
I. Introduction
As everybody understood that high building such as telecommunication tower is
something that “inviting“ lightning. Inviting means that when there is no high building at
some area then lightning doesn‘t come to there unless high level ionization in air at the
area carry the ion to jump from cloud to earth. But if the ionization isn‘t happened then
lightning jumping only between cloud to another cloud.
Lightning is a jumping ion which normally spread at the surface of cloud to the
counterpart ions which have inverse polarity toward neutralization condition. At some
cloud are not always have same polarity of ion, for example one group of cloud consist of
negative ion (-) then another group of cloud could consist of positive ion (+). Whenever the
two of group become closer until a distance which the energy of charged are strong enough
to jump, so lightning between clouds are exist. But if, in the way of running cloud doesn’t
meet the counterpart ion, then the ions are going down because of earth gravitation effect
and forming a path from cloud to earth thus lightning may be happened from cloud to earth
because earth is an extraordinary ions source. The occurrence of lightning from cloud to
earth is more possible if there is a better way to reach, those are a high building and tower.

Figure 1. Lightning between clouds

Author : Januargo S. Baskoro 3

Date : Feb 04, 2008
 Figure 2. Lightning between cloud to earth

Figure 3. Lightning from cloud to earth via tower

Author : Januargo S. Baskoro 4

Date : Feb 04, 2008
II. Logically Analogy
In accordance with previous explanation that lightning is electrical ions that jump each
other with counterpart ions to find neutral condition. The moving ions become an electric
current when it is passed by a conductor. Basic understanding of electrical behavior is
always corresponding to liquid behavior because liquid is visible to be analyzed of its
movement. Electricity is flowing from higher potential to lower potential. Similar with this
that liquid is flowing from higher pressure of place to lower pressure of place. Moving
electricity need a conductor, liquid need a pipe to move nicely as expected. Size of
conductor is defining of ability to conduct the electric current, size of pipe is also defining
of pipe ability to be passed by liquid.
Logical analogy of lightning protection system at telecommunication tower that on
struck by lightning can be corresponded with water tank system with its pipe channels and
dissipation pipes as shown in Figure 4. The picture is showing how liquid from top tank
flow to bottom via pipe channel, P1 and P2, and the liquid is dissipated completely if the
dissipation pipes are enough.

Figure 4. Logical analogy lightning protection system as tank system with the liquid.

But, when number of dissipation pipes is reduced then liquid will flow to out side via
any pipe that connected to the system as shown in Figure 5. If any part of the out side pipe
consist small cross section and thin, then at that part will receive big pressure thus the
leakage possibility on it can be exist. The illustration is shown in Figure 6.

Author : Januargo S. Baskoro 5

Date : Feb 04, 2008
 Figure 5. Liquid flowing to outside via a pipe that connected to the system.

Figure 6. A small pipe exist at outside pipe.

In Figure 4, 5 and 6 shown system that using 2 kind of channel pipe, P1 and P2.
Assuming that using 1 channel pipe, P2, is enough actually then usage of channel pipe, P1,
giving an extra channel excessively, meaning, the availability of P2 may be removed
because P1 is so bigger than P2. Figure 7, 8, and 9 are showing the system with single
channel pipe.

Author : Januargo S. Baskoro 6

Date : Feb 04, 2008
 Figure 7. Tank system in figure 4 with single down pipe.

Figure 8. Tank system in figure 5 with single down pipe.

Figure 9. Tank system in figure 6 with single down pipe.

Author : Januargo S. Baskoro 7

Date : Feb 04, 2008
 If the tank system that shown in figures above to be translated in electric drawing
according to the agreement in the beginning of this discourse are shown in Figure 10, 11,
12, 13, 14 and 15.

Figure 10

Figure 11

Author : Januargo S. Baskoro 8

Date : Feb 04, 2008
 Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Author : Januargo S. Baskoro 9

Date : Feb 04, 2008
 Figure 15

III. Standard References

1. IEC 62305-3, Protection against lightning – Physical damage to structures and life
hazard.
Is a standard reference regarding lightning protection system. In point (4.3) says:
“Steelwork within reinforced concrete structure is considered to be electrically
continuous provided that the major part of interconnections of vertical and horizontal
bars are welded or otherwise securely connected. Connections of vertical bars shall be
welded, clamped or overlapped a minimum of 20 times their diameters and bound or
otherwise securely connected………
……… For structures utilizing steel reinforced concrete (including pre-cast, pre-
stressed reinforced units), the electrical continuity of the reinforcing bars shall be
determined by electrical testing between the uppermost part and ground level. The
overall electrical resistance should not be greater than 0,2 Ω , measured using test
equipment suitable for this purpose.
In section (5.3.5) says:
“The following parts of the structure should be considered as natural down-
conductors:
a) the metal installations provided that
– the electrical continuity between the various parts is made durable in accordance
with 5.5.2.”1

1
The number of connections along the conductors shall be kept to a minimum. Connections shall be made
secure by such means as brazing, welding, clamping, crimping, seaming, screwing or bolting.

Author : Januargo S. Baskoro 10

Date : Feb 04, 2008
2. SIEMENS, Installation guide line - Earthing, lightning and equipontential bonding
for mobile radio base stations.
Is a Siemens standard guide line for Lightning Protection System in BTS. In section
(2.2.2.2) says,
“For a metallic tower (Greenfield site, see chapter 4)2, there is no need to install a
down conductor in order to conduct the lightning current to earth, as the tower
structure itself will perform this task.”

3. HARGER, Lightning Protection Specification Wireless Communication sites.

In section (I.A) says,
“The tower legs should be utilized as down conductors as they provide an acceptable
path of conductance.”

4. POLYPHASER, Exploring the need for tower down conductor.

In their experiment concluding,
“There could be other reasons for a separate down conductor such as:
• ………
• ………
But not to “protect” the tower from lightning.”

5. Jay M. Jacobmeyer, P. E, April 1, 2007, in his article that published by MRT says:
“Installing down conductors from high on the tower: Installers are sometimes told
they must install a copper down conductor from the antenna to the earth electrode
system. The author has seen more than 200 feet of AWG No. 2 wire installed on a
tower to meet this misguided requirement. True, copper has better conductivity than
galvanized steel, but the impedance of the tower is much lower than No. 2 copper wire
for two reasons: the larger surface area of tower members creates lower inductance
and the multiple current paths to the ground create lower overall impedance.”

More and more references can be taken, from internet, but haven’t been included.

IV. Electrically Argumentation Regarding Tower as “down conductor”

Conductor is a medium that conduct electric current from a point with higher potential to
another point with lower potential. The best medium that can do the task is metal, but non
metal also could carry the electric current eventhough not well enough.

2
Chapter 4 is Greenfield sites installation examples.

Author : Januargo S. Baskoro 11

Date : Feb 04, 2008
Capability of conductor to conduct ions is different depending on the material composed
and it is called conductivity. Conductivity is formulated as:

σ = nqμ

where,
n is number of electric charge carries,
q is the charge of the ion,
μ is the mobility of the charged species.

Conductivity is not familiar at people’s ear and it is not understood generally. People can
understand about resistivity that simply inverse of conductivity,
1
ρ=
σ
And resistance is an extrinsic property of a device which is represented by the equation
l
R=ρ
A
where,
R is resistance of material ( Ω ),
ρ is resistivity of material ( Ω .m),
l is length of material (m) and
A is its cross sectional area (m2)
once more simply equation that taken from basic electronic knowledgement about paralel
combination of resistance is,
1 1 1 1
= + + ... +
R R1 R 2 Rx
According to Table 1, shown that each material such as Copper, Aluminium, and Steel has
different resistivity, those are
- Copper = 1.7241x10-6 Ω .cm or equal with 1.7241x10-8 Ω .m
- Aluminium = 2.284x10-6 Ω .cm or equal with 2.284x10-8 Ω .m
- Steel = 10.4x10-6 Ω .cm or equal with 10.4x10-8 Ω .m
So, for copper cable with cross-sectional area 50 mm2 and its length is as height as tower,
let’s say 80 m, the resistance value can be calculated as
80
R = 1.7241 × 10 −8 ×
50 × 10 −6
R = 2.75856x10-2
R = 0.027586 Ω

Author : Januargo S. Baskoro 12

Date : Feb 04, 2008
Then for resistance value of Aluminium cable with cross-sectional area 70 mm2 is,
80
R = 2.284 × 10 −8 ×
70 × 10 −6
R = 2.6103x10-2
R = 0.026103 Ω

Thus for galvanized steel that has dimension 50mm x 3mm is,
80
R = 10.4 × 10 −8 ×
150 × 10 − 4
R = 5.5467x10-4
R = 0.055467 Ω
Base on standard value of resistance for down conductor that states not bigger than 0.2 so
the value as result of calculation above are so much less, in that means the three of those
component are acceptable to be used.
Table 1. Resistivity of material

Author : Januargo S. Baskoro 13

Date : Feb 04, 2008
If the resistance calculation is simply implemented to tower shown as follow. For example
72 m 4 legged Angular Tower, many angular tower have same type of top 10 m section,
and the top section has smallest size of legs than bottom section. From tower data, each top
leg is using angle bar 80 x 80 mm with thickness of 8 mm, see Figure 16.

Figure 16. Angle bar 80mm x 80mm x 8mm

The section area is,
A = (80 x8) + (72 x8) = 1216 mm2 = 12,16x10-4 m2
Assume that as height as tower are using leg with same type angle bar, so the resistance of
single leg is,
72
R = 10.4 × 10 −8 ×
12.16 × 10 − 4
R = 0.006158 Ω
And value of all leg as paralel combination is
1 1 1 1 1
= + + +
R 0.006158 0.006158 0.006158 0.006158
1 4
=
R 0.006158
4 R = 0.006158
R = 0.001539 Ω
This is a very small value (remember the calculation was assuming that tower use same
smallest size of leg as long as height of tower, so the actual could be smaller than the
calculation) and it is acceptable to be used as down conductor.

V. Currently Cases and The Analysis

So many reports about damage accident that caused by lightning hit the tower such as
1. KWH meter in tower location is burn.
2. Neighbor’s electric equipments are burn, like TV, Radio, Water pump, Lamp etc.

Many opinions arise that says:

Author : Januargo S. Baskoro 14

Date : Feb 04, 2008
1. “It is happened because of tower doesn’t equip with down conductor”
2. “It is happened because there is no control pit and the grounding bar is not copper”
3. “It is happened because the grounding resistance is not below than 1 Ω “
4. “It is happened because of electromagnetic effect when lightning is striking”

Opinion 1,
It is denied with the explanation in section III and section IV.
Opinion 2,
It is said without analysis and logically thinking.
Opinion 3,
The value of 1 is not mentioned in installation standard of lightning protection
system or in any standard. IEC 62305-3 standard is defining grounding resistance
value as 10 Ω and PUIL (Indonesia Standard) is defining grounding resistance
value as 5 Ω . Technical explanation of this value is too long to be mentioned in this
discussion.
Opinion 4,
From the fact in the field, known that portion of damage devices is at power part,
for example, TV burn, radio burn, water pump burn, lamp burn, etc. Which is
electromagnetic field does not cause that defection. Electromagnetic effect as
impact from lightning may cause, human brain disruption, defection on electronic
device such as computer, digital radio etc, but not in power part. So clearly clarified
that all of the defections in these cases are not impacted by electromagnetic field
effect.

So, the analysis of the accident is,

When the lightning striking tower, lightning current is carried down to earth via down
conductor, any down conductor type as mentioned or the tower itself can do the job. In
earth, the lightning current is dissipated through the electrodes. The capability of electrode
to be thru by lightning current depend on surface wide of the electrode that contacted with
earth and impedance of earth self. If number of electrodes are much enough, so the
lightning current can be dissipated immediately, otherwise the currents are looking for any
conductor connected that can be passed, and the alternative selected path is PLN line
toward outside tower area to the neighbor. If the currents that flowing to outside are big,
the defection as mentioned can be happened particularly if current pass a small conductor
or big inductance.
Because KWH meter has a coil conductor as inductor inside, so it create high impedance
when a momentary current flow and burn it. Inductor and impedance are not explained in
this writing.

Author : Januargo S. Baskoro 15

Date : Feb 04, 2008
Every PLN users are suppose to install lightning protection system in their area, but
unfortunatelly it is not done in Indonesia, so when something happen as impact of the
lightning in their neighbor, it may impact to them too.

V. Conclusion and Solusion Proposal

Several conclusion are taken after all clarification above,
1. Tower as down conductor is in accordance with installation standard of lightning
protection system.
2. All currently defection cases are not caused by the installation lightning protection
system without separate down conductor. Those are caused by poor installation of
lightning protection system underground.
3. The value of grounding resistance can not be taken as the only reference. The number
of grounding electrode is one of other consideration.
4. Poor installation of lightning protection system in PLN user, so when lightning
happened in some place, the damage devices can be happened in other place
surrounding.
The author would like to propose two solusions for rectification,
1. Install more standard rods in the tower area as other path for lightning current to be
dissipated by earth. The number of additional rods are using “trial an error“ method
because nobody knows the big of lightning current is striking. And also, the author
never did specially the lightning research and never got detail training about lightning,
but this discourse is based on references, basic electrical and logically thinking.
2. Install more standard rods at nearest PLN pole which the line is connected to the site.
And pull grounding from each line at the pole via arrestor device. This is intended to
intercept lightning current that flowing to out side before touching eighbor devices.

Author : Januargo S. Baskoro 16

Date : Feb 04, 2008