{"id":1008197,"date":"2016-02-18T00:00:57","date_gmt":"2016-02-17T22:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.lufft.com\/?p=8197"},"modified":"2017-09-15T15:26:35","modified_gmt":"2017-09-15T13:26:35","slug":"helplessly-exposed-to-nature-how-lightning-storms-can-be-measured","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.otthydromet.com\/en\/helplessly-exposed-to-nature-how-lightning-storms-can-be-measured\/","title":{"rendered":"Helplessly exposed to nature? How lightning storms can be measured"},"content":{"rendered":"

Solar and wind<\/span> plants seem to be exposed to <\/span>thunderstorm<\/span> lightning <\/span>helplessly<\/span>. However, there<\/span> are several ways<\/span> to protect them. <\/span>Also we offer a solution for the handling of thunderstorms with lightning\u00a0<\/span>since end of last year<\/span>. What<\/span> this is all about exactly and what else is <\/span>interesting<\/span> about such natural spectacles, you can read<\/span> in the following article<\/span>…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Each day, there<\/span> occur about <\/span>1,000<\/span> thunderstorms<\/span> with <\/span>4-10<\/span> million<\/span> lightning bolts worldwide<\/span>. In average,<\/span> 700<\/span> people per year<\/span> are hit by such light discharges, <\/span>of which 75<\/span>% of the hits result in long-term damages. B<\/span>etween<\/span> three<\/span> and<\/span> seven cases end <\/span>fatal.<\/span> The risk<\/span> is particularly high<\/span> in the open field<\/span> and<\/span> is<\/span> fortunately decreasing. The<\/span> reason for this is that<\/span> we stay more often <\/span>inside in cars and buildings where<\/span> almost all<\/span> areas are protected by <\/span><\/span>lightning arresters than outside.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

How do thunderstorms and lightnings develop at all?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Clouds<\/span> are formed when<\/span> moist air<\/span> rises<\/span>, which was warmed up<\/span> <\/span>before <\/span>by the sun in<\/span> the lower<\/span> air layer<\/span>. There, the<\/span> air cools down<\/span> again<\/span> and forms<\/span> tiny<\/span> droplets<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

If the water vapor troplets in the air rub present <\/span>ice crystals<\/span> at high altitudes, <\/span>thunderclouds (<\/span>cumulonimbus)<\/span> are formed, because<\/span> positively and negatively charged<\/span> raindrops<\/span> separate<\/span> from each other. Through this, the cloud gets loaded electrostatically. <\/span>At some point, the<\/span> voltage<\/span> discharges <\/span>in the form of a lightning bolt and <\/span>the heavy<\/span> ice crystals<\/span> falling to the earth as hail or rain. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

Solar panels, wind<\/span> turbines<\/span> and power lines<\/span>: helplessly exposed<\/span>?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

For<\/span> power lines<\/span>, wind turbines<\/span> and<\/span> photovoltaic plants, <\/span>lightning strikes<\/span> have serious consequences<\/span>: They are exposed <\/span>to them<\/span> almost<\/span> defenseless<\/span>. In case of lightning flashes causing <\/span>surge<\/span> or even<\/span> fire<\/span> damages,<\/span> there’s usually<\/span> a lack of <\/span>evidence for their origin <\/span>–<\/span> a nightmare for<\/span> the plant operators who<\/span> depend<\/span> on their insurance<\/span> and <\/span>face high economic losses<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

After all,<\/span> nearly 20% of<\/span> photovoltaic systems’ damages<\/span> are caused by lightning<\/span> bolts. To avoid a strike, they can be protected by <\/span>so-called<\/span> surge protective<\/span> devices. The<\/span> conditions<\/span> of such devices<\/span> are<\/span> now standardizes by the <\/span>European Norm <\/span>EN50539-11<\/span>:2013: “R<\/span>equirements and tests of<\/span> surge protection devices<\/span> for photovoltaic systems”. <\/span>Basically,<\/span> a lightning protection<\/span> device<\/span> should be installed<\/span> when it comes<\/span> to<\/span> performances<\/span> of<\/span> 10<\/span>kW<\/span> and<\/span> more<\/span>.<\/p>\n

The<\/span> WS<\/span> 800<\/span>–<\/span>UMB: lightning<\/span> detection and<\/span> weather<\/span> information<\/span> at once<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

In addition,<\/span> a <\/span>lightning<\/span> sensor for detecting<\/span> and<\/span> counting<\/span> the<\/span> emitted electromagnetic<\/span> waves<\/span> of lightning bolts makes sense<\/span>. Last October<\/span> we introduced <\/span>the<\/span> WS800-UMB<\/span><\/a> weather<\/span> sensor<\/span> featuring this function. Besides\u00a0 lightning, the all-in-one sensor <\/span><\/a>measures<\/span> relative humidity<\/span>, air pressure, wind<\/span> direction and speed<\/span>, rainfall intensity<\/span> and volume<\/span> as well as the<\/span> global<\/span> radiation.\u00a0<\/span>Since large<\/span> solar and<\/span> wind turbine plants <\/span>are<\/span> already<\/span> controlled by weather sensors<\/span>, the<\/span>\u00a0WS800<\/span><\/a> thus fulfils <\/span>many<\/span> requirements at once<\/span> and<\/span> with a single<\/span> cable<\/span> connection<\/span>. Also<\/span> potential confounders<\/span> are no problem<\/span>: Extensive<\/span> experimental setups<\/span> with the lightning<\/span> simulator<\/span> both in the laboratory and<\/span> <\/span>afield showed, that<\/span> the sensor<\/span> is resistant against other<\/span> electromagnetic<\/span> radiations in the environment,<\/span> such as those of high speed railways. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

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Further links:<\/strong><\/p>\n