Active Lightning Protection
Even well-implemented lightning protection engineering schemes for electronic systems often prove inadequate to withstand the impact of close lightning discharges. Complex, spatially separated, inter-connected systems using long copper conductors, such as irrigation systems, are particularly vulnerable to lightning-generated surge currents, overvoltages and electrical overstress.
Lightning-induced surge currents can damage (by fusing and/or shorting) buried conductors such as irrigation control and power cables making it difficult to assess the extent of damages and implement corrective action in a timely way. The time and expense to troubleshoot extensive lightning damage, purchase new equipment, and repair a complex system to proper operational status can be daunting. The loss of control of a watering schedule due to lightning damage can have additional long lasting negative consequences. The addition of central control computers into irrigation systems helps justify improving the overall hardness of a lightning protection engineering scheme by way of adding another layer of protection using Wxline active lightning protection equipment.
Wxline active lightning protection, when combined with best-engineering-practice passive lightning protection technology, delivers greatly enhanced overall lightning protection and peace-of-mind.
Active Lightning Protection combines local lightning detection with automatic switching apparatus that together effect selective isolation and selective grounding of conductors from the outside world that terminate at vulnerable equipment such as central control computers and power sources for irrigation satellites.
Active Lightning Protection: The System Design Process
CRITICAL ASSET PROTECTION BULKHEAD EXAMPLES
Critical Asset Protection Bulkhead - Central
Part # CAPB-Central
The CAPB-CENTRAL provides automated, active lightning protection by the electrical isolation of irrigation control systems and central stations. The implementation of best engineering-practice passive lightning protection includes:
- Selective isolation – Automatically disconnects selected conductors from the irrigation control system
- Selective grounding – Automatically grounds disconnected conductors
- Selective shutdown – Automatically disconnects communication and signal conductors via three independent circuits with programmable delays to provide the ultimate defense against over-voltages, electrical over-stress, and lightning surge currents in a lightning environment
THE CAPB-CENTRAL DELIVERS:
- WAVE Sequencer and active/passive lightning protection components fully assembled, tested, and ready for customer input and output AC power connections
- Best-engineering-practice conventional passive lightning surge protection methods with active protection-by-isolation
- Advanced and comprehensive active lightning protection including automatic disconnection (isolation), automatic grounding of field conductors, automatic AC power shutdown, selective isolation, selective grounding, and selective shutdown
- Properly engineered (NEC compliant) panel for greatly simplified installation
- Optional high-intensity strobe indicates sequence ON/OFF conditions
- Shielding, cable-routing, cable dressing and metal-enclosed switch-gear to minimize flashover risk and for arc-flash protection
- Attractive enclosure with large area viewing window
- Rugged professional grade, complete assembly
The CAPB-CENTRAL is intended for use as the indoor or secondary lightning protection bulkhead installed at the irrigation control computer and must be used in conjunction with proper external or outdoor (primary) lightning protection. The CAPB-CENTRAL integrates the Strike Guard Lightning Warning System and WAVE Sequencer with the user’s critical irrigation control system.
During the automatic, controlled-transition to the alarm condition, the relay bank manages field wiring and automatically disconnects and selectively shunts communication and signal conductors to ground for the duration of the thunderstorm threat.
The lightning ALL-CLEAR signal initiates an automatic, orderly re-connect and re-start sequence.
The factory-assembled CAPB-CENTRAL comes completely pre-mounted, pre-cabled, and interfaced to a pre-wired multiple relay bank, main DC power supply, AC power circuit breaker, and an AC power secondary surge arrester. All protective shielding and wire dressing are implemented at the factory to deliver a properly-engineered, fully-assembled and pre-tested CAPB to the irrigation control central-station site.
The CAPB-CENTRAL significantly reduces installation time and standardizes the combination of passive and active lightning protection. The fiberglass enclosure of the CAPB-CENTRAL is designed to be mounted in an office environment in close proximity to the irrigation central-station. The CAPB-CENTRAL is modular and may be adapted to a wide variety of central-station types. The standard CAPB-CENTRAL is supplied with six (6) two-pole relays to handle a total of 12 conductors. Additional relays may be added as required.
Critical Asset Protection Bulkhead - Pump
Part # CAPB-PUMP
The CAPB-PUMP is designed for use with the Strike Guard Lightning Warning System to protect an irrigation pump station from lightning-induced surge currents. By providing an early warning to the pump and allowing it to safely spin down before all sprinkler heads and valves are closed, the CAPB-PUMP prevents irrigation plumbing damage due to hydraulic shock.
In the standard configuration, the CAPB-PUMP provides dry contact output relays to signal the pump station to initiate the active lightning protection scheme.
The CAPB-PUMP’s output relays are controlled by the WAVE Sequencer to signal the pump station control lines. This configuration allows pump stations to be safely and automatically powered down during local thunderstorms and automatically restarted to resume normal operation after the lightning threat passes.
THE CAPB-PUMP DELIVERS:
- Fully-assembled, tested and ready for customer pump station connections
- Best-engineering-practice conventional passive lightning surge protection keeps the CAPB-PUMP protected, so it can reliably protect the pump station
- Advanced and comprehensive active lightning protection including automatic disconnection (isolation), automatic AC power shut-down, selective isolation, selective grounding, and selective shut-down
- Properly engineered (NEC compliant) panel for greatly simplified installation
- Optional high-intensity strobe indicates sequence ON/OFF conditions
- Shielding, cable-routing, cable dressing and metal-enclosed switch-gear to minimize flashover
risk and for arc-flash protection - Attractive enclosure with large-area viewing window
- Rugged professional grade, complete assembly
By giving advance lightning warning to a pump station that a shutdown is imminent, the CAPB-PUMP protects golf course infrastructure, maximizes uptime, and minimizes annual repair costs.
In addition to providing automatic and safe shutdown of a pump station, the CAPB-PUMP offers an optional strobe light to alert nearby personnel that the pump is powered down.
The CAPB-PUMP comes as a completely assembled and tested wall-mount unit requiring only input (line) mains power (100 to 240 VAC single or split phase) to be installed by a licensed electrician, and control lines from the pump station to be connected to the control relays.
The CAPB-PUMP includes an integral WAVE Sequencer, packaged in a polycarbonate weather-resistant enclosure. All AC equipment and switch gear are packaged in steel enclosures for arc-flash protection.
The CAPB-PUMP requires either local Strike Guard Lightning Data Receiver direct connection or RF signaling from a WAVE Transmitter actuated by a Strike Guard Lightning Warning System (or manual activation). The CAPB-PUMP is customized based on project requirements. In addition to the optional strobe light, the CAPB can be configured with output relays with wetted contacts.
Critical Asset Protection Bulkhead - Remote
Part # CAPB-REMOTE
The CAPB-Remote is designed for use with the Strike Guard Lightning Warning System to protect an AC power source for irrigation satellites and associated electrical equipment from lighting surge currents that appear on buried irrigation cables during local thunderstorms by the use of:
- High-speed AC power secondary surge arresters
across all field power conductors - Automatic opening of all field wiring connections to
the host AC power source - Automatic grounding of all field wiring
The CAPB-REMOTE also protects irrigation satellites during local thunderstorms by turning off AC power and reducing the exposure of irrigation satellites to lightning damage. The CAPB-REMOTE automatically returns the power sources and satellites to normal operation when the thunderstorm threat passes.
The CAPB-REMOTE combines automatic electrical disconnection with AC power secondary surge arresters on the line and load side to maximize the protection of the host AC power source during local thunderstorms.
THE CAPB REMOTE DELIVERS:
- WAVE Sequencer and active/passive lightning protection components fully assembled, tested, and ready for customer input and output AC power connections
- Best-engineering-practice conventional passive lightning surge protection methods with active protection by isolation
- Advanced and comprehensive active lightning protection including automatic disconnection (isolation), automatic grounding of field conductors, and automatic AC power shutdown
- Properly engineered (NEC compliant) panel for greatly simplified installation
- Optional high-intensity strobe indicates sequence ON/OFF conditions
- Shielding, cable-routing, cable dressing and metal-enclosed switch-gear to minimize flashover
risk and for arc-flash protection - Attractive enclosure with large-area viewing window
- Rugged professional grade, complete assembly
By intervening between lightning-energized field wiring and AC power/control infrastructure systems, the CAPB-REMOTE protects infrastructure, maximizes uptime, and minimizes repair costs.
The CAPB-REMOTE comes as a completely assembled and tested wall-mount unit requiring only input (line) mains power (240 VAC split phase) to be installed by a licensed electrician, and output (load) AC power connections to be made by an irrigation technician. The CAPB-Remote can be ordered for power sources that supply either 120 or 240 VAC to irrigation satellites.
The CAPB-REMOTE is comprised of four interconnected electrical enclosures mounted on a common finished panel:
- WAVE Sequencer enclosure
- Circuit Breaker enclosure distribution panel
- Relay and power supply enclosure
- Field wiring terminal block enclosure
The CAPB-REMOTE includes an integral WAVE Sequencer, packaged in a fiberglass weather-resistant enclosure. All AC equipment and switch gear are packaged in steel enclosures for arc-flash protection.
The CAPB-REMOTE requires either Strike Guard Lightning Data Receiver direct connection, or RF signaling from a WAVE transmitter actuated by a Strike Guard Lightning Warning System (or manual activation).
The Equipment Shut-Down and Start-Up Process
1) The Strike Guard Lightning Warning System detects lightning threats and relays to the WAVE Transmitter for automated initiation of equipment shutdown procedures.
2) The WAVE Transmitter automatically sends coded RF signals to activate the pre-programmed shut-down sequence upon lightning ALARM, and pre-programmed start-up sequence upon ALL-CLEAR.
3) The WAVE Sequencer onboard Critical Asset Protection Bulkheads executes the pre-programmed shut-down sequence upon lightning ALARM, and then the pre-programmed start-up sequence upon ALL-CLEAR.
The Wxline Isolation Transformer creates a separate local electrical service at a location remote from the building entrance
Wxline Isolation Transformer
The Wxline Isolation Transformer (WxIT) provides turn-key implementation of a separately-derived power source.
The WxIT allows for installation of a ground electrode on the branch circuit that supplies power to an irrigation control central computer and associated accessories.
The WxIT provides significant hardening of a central computer and related accessories from lightning damage by way of:
- Low-pass filtering of commercial power
- Fast transient suppression
- A low surge impedance path to a ground electrode
- Effective equipment potential equalization of commercial AC power and field power and/or communication conductors
The WxIT DELIVERS:
- Improved reliability of irrigation control computers in a lightning environment
- Fully isolated, separately derived source AC service
- Full compatibility with the ground electrode used for irrigation equipment protection
- Improved power quality and overcurrent protected AC outlets
- Efficient toroid transformer technology with quiet operation
- Ground-fault indicator, AC-in indicator, and protected voltage-out indicator
- Compatibility with UPS systems
- Effective electrical protection for new systems, or retrofit to existing installations
- Compatibility with Wxline Critical Asset Protection Bulkheads
The WxIT is a complete electrical subsystem that creates a separate local electrical service at a location remote from the building service entrance. The WxIT is user-friendly and is installed by hard-wire into an existing branch circuit or by way of a flexible power cord plugged into a dedicated wall outlet.
The WxIT includes provision of AC power-in options, multiple output circuits with over-current protection, input AC power surge suppression, and a ground lug. The lug is used for bonding to the ground electrode that is used for irrigation equipment protection and that is not common to the
building safety ground.
The WxIT provides 1.5kVA of power to multiple, integral, circuit-breaker protected AC outlets. The WxIT is a fully metal-enclosed isolation-transformer and distribution panel board dedicated to energizing inter-connected critical control systems involving multiple conductors to / from the outside world.
Contact Us
Thank you for viewing our products. If you have any questions please fill out the contact form and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Address: 423 South Olsen Avenue, Tucson AZ 85719 USA
Telephone Number: (520) 615-9999
Fax Number: (520) 615-0030
Toll Free Number: (800) 615-0340
Email: info@wxline.com