Polarized lightning arrestors
View Patent ↗Systems and methods for dynamically defending a site from lightning strikes are provided. The systems and methods involve dynamically altering electrostatic fields above the site and/or dynamically intervening in lightning discharges processes in the vicinity of the site.
1. A system, comprising:
a plurality of lightning arrestors comprising conductors located and extending above ground level and electrically terminating at ground; and
one or more voltage biasing elements coupled to the plurality of lightning arrestors and arranged to bias a first of the lightning arrestors to a different respective potential than a second of the lightning arrestors;
one or more sensors configured to monitor atmospheric conditions; and
a controller, receiving information representative of the atmospheric conditions, the controller arranged to selectively adjust the one or more voltage biasing elements based on the information, wherein the plurality of lightning arrestors comprises a sequence of lightning arrestors that are biased to potentials, which are alternately greater and less than a line voltage on an overhead DC transmission line.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more voltage biasing elements are arranged to bias the first of the lightning arrestors to a non-zero potential relative to a local ground potential.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more voltage biasing elements are arranged to bias the plurality of lightning arrestors to establish a potential gradient across the plurality of lightning arrestors.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more voltage biasing elements are arranged to bias the first of the lightning arrestors to a potential that is below a corona discharge limit.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more voltage biasing elements comprise an EMF source.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more voltage biasing elements comprise a capacitor and/or a voltage amplifier.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more voltage biasing elements comprise a photovoltaic array.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of lightning arrestors has a rod-, a rope-, a cable-, a wire-, a netting-, a strip-, a plate-, a panel-, a wall-, and/or an extended surface-shape.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of lightning arrestors is arranged to emit charges substantially non-directionally.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of lightning arrestors is arranged to emit charges substantially directionally.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first of the lightning arrestors and the second of the lightning arrestors are spaced less than a critical distance apart so that zones of protection of the first and second lightning arrestors overlap.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first of the lightning arrestors is biased to a positive potential, and the second of the lightning arrestors is biased to a negative potential.
13. The system of claim 1 , disposed at a site, wherein the first of the lightning arrestors is biased to a positive potential relative to a site potential, and the second of the lightning arrestors is biased to a negative potential relative to the site potential.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of lightning arrestors comprises a sequence of lightning arrestors that are biased to positive and negative potentials, which have magnitudes greater than a peak line voltage on the overhead AC transmission line.
15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of lightning arrestors comprises a sequence of positively and negatively biased lightning arrestors.
16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of lightning arrestors comprises a sequence of lightning arrestors that are positively and negatively biased with respect to a site potential.
17. The system of claim 1 , which is deployable to protect an overhead AC transmission line from an atmospheric electrical discharge.
18. The system of claim 1 , which is deployable to protect an overhead DC transmission line from an atmospheric electrical discharge.
19. The system of claim 1 , further comprising, at least one sensor arranged to sense a weather condition.
20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is arranged to bias the first of the lightning arrestors in response to a weather condition and/or an anticipated weather condition.
21. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is arranged to bias the first of the lightning arrestors in response to a geopotential value.
22. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is arranged to bias the first of the lightning arrestors to prepare a conducting path from an overhead charge accumulation to ground.
23. A method, comprising:
providing, at a site, a plurality of lightning arrestors comprising conductors located and extending above ground level at the site and electrically terminating at ground;
monitoring atmospheric conditions by one or more sensors;
receiving information representative of the atmospheric conditions, by a controller, the controller arranged to selectively adjust one or more voltage biasing elements based on the information; and
biasing a first of the lightning arrestors to a different respective potential than a second of the lightning arrestors based on the information, wherein biasing a first of the lightning arrestors to a different respective potential comprises biasing a sequence of lightning arrestors to potentials that are alternately greater and less than a line voltage in an overhead DC transmission line.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein biasing a first of the lightning arrestors comprises biasing the first of the lightning arrestors to a non-zero potential relative to a local ground potential.
25. The method of claim 23 , wherein biasing a first of the lightning arrestors comprises biasing the plurality of lightning arrestors to establish a potential gradient across the plurality of lightning arrestors.
26. The method of claim 23 , wherein biasing a first of the lightning arrestors to a different respective potential comprises biasing the first of the lightning arrestors to a potential that is below a corona discharge limit.
27. The method of claim 23 , wherein biasing a first of the lightning arrestors to a different respective potential comprises connecting the first of the lightning arrestors to an EMF source.
28. The method of claim 23 , wherein biasing a first of the lightning arrestors to a different respective potential comprises connecting the first of the lightning arrestors to a capacitor and/or a voltage amplifier.
29. The method of claim 23 , wherein biasing a first of the lightning arrestors to a different respective potential comprises operatively connecting the first of the lightning arrestors to a photovoltaic array.
30. The method of claim 23 , wherein at least one of the plurality of lightning arrestors has a rod-, a rope-, a cable-, a wire-, a netting-, a strip-, a plate-, a panel-, a wall-, and/or an extended surface-shape.
31. The method of claim 23 , wherein at least one of the plurality of lightning arrestors is arranged to emit charges substantially non-directionally.
32. The method of claim 23 , wherein at least one of the plurality of lightning arrestors is arranged to emit charges substantially directionally.
33. The method of claim 23 , wherein the first of the lightning arrestors and the second of the lightning arrestors are spaced less than a critical distance apart so that zones of protection of the first and second lightning arrestors overlap.
34. The method of claim 23 , wherein biasing a first of the lightning arrestors to a different respective potential comprises biasing the first of the lightning arrestors to a positive potential and biasing the second of the lightning arrestors to a negative potential.
35. The method of claim 23 , wherein biasing a first of the lightning arrestors to a different respective potential comprises biasing the first of the lightning arrestors to a positive potential relative to a site potential, and biasing the second of the lightning arrestors to a negative potential relative to the site potential.
36. The method of claim 23 , wherein biasing a first of the lightning arrestors to a different respective potential comprises biasing a sequence of lightning arrestors positively and negatively.
37. The method of claim 23 , wherein biasing a first of the lightning arrestors to a different respective potential comprises biasing a sequence of lightning arrestors positively and negatively with respect to a site potential.
38. The method of claim 23 , wherein the plurality of lightning arrestors are deployed to protect an overhead AC transmission line from an atmospheric electrical discharge.
39. The method of claim 23 , wherein biasing a first of the lightning arrestors to a different respective potential comprises biasing a sequence of lightning arrestors positively and negatively to potentials that have magnitudes greater than a peak line voltage in an overhead AC transmission line.
40. The method of claim 23 , wherein the plurality of lightning arrestors are deployed to protect an overhead DC transmission line from an atmospheric electrical discharge.
41. The method of claim 23 , further comprising, sensing a weather condition.
42. The method of claim 41 , wherein biasing a first of the lightning arrestors to a different respective potential comprises biasing the first of the lightning arrestors in response to a sensed weather condition and/or an anticipated weather condition.
43. The method of claim 23 , wherein biasing a first of the lightning arrestors to a different respective potential comprises biasing the first of the lightning arrestors in response to a local geopotential value.
44. The method of claim 23 , wherein biasing a first of the lightning arrestors to a different respective potential comprises preparing a conducting path from an overhead charge accumulation to ground.