A Technically Advanced Lightning Protection System
nVent ERICO System 3000 has evolved from years of research activity. Earlier versions of the System 3000 provided a building block for the latest advancements through extensive field studies, leading-edge indoor and outdoor high-voltage testing and computer modeling research support. This extensive research has resulted in some of the most up-to-date published technical papers and journals. The unique features of this system allow the achievement of reliable lightning capture and control.
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nVent ERICO System 3000 Components
1) nVent ERICO Dynasphere Air Terminal
The nVent ERICO Dynasphere air terminal provides a preferred point for lightning discharges which would otherwise strike and damage an unprotected structure and/or its contents. The primary function of an air terminal, or air termination system, is to capture and direct the lightning strike to a preferred point, so that the discharge current can be directed via the down conductor(s) to the grounding system.
2) nVent ERICO Ericore Conductor
nVent ERICO Ericore conductor provides an insulated low-impedance path from the air terminal to the ground system so that the lightning current can be conducted to earth without the development of excessively large voltages. This cable is comprised of carefully selected dielectric materials, which create capacitive balance and help ensure insulation integrity under high impulse conditions.
3) Cantilevered and Guyed Mounting Masts
Mounting masts available for cantilevered or guyed installations on structures.
4) nVent ERICO Lightning Event Counter
Monitor a System 3000 installation with a lightning event counter. It records quantity, hour and date of lightning strikes for retrieval during inspections.
5) Grounding System
The grounding system must have a low impedance to disperse the energy of the lightning strike. Because the lightning discharge consists of high frequency components, we are particularly concerned with the frequency-dependent electrical parameter of a grounding system— impedance— as well as low-resistance grounding.
The Collection Volume Method for Air Terminal Placement
Air terminals, or lightning rods, can be placed on a structure according to various models currently used in the lightning protection field. The most common is the Rolling Sphere Method (RSM), which is based on the simple Electro Geometric Model (EGM), for striking distance. In contrast, the CVM determines the ideal placement of a lightning protection system using Eriksson’s Attractive Radius (Ra) Model, which uses lightning current to calculate the radius of protection provided by a lightning protection system. The CVM considers the building’s features, evaluating the physical criteria of air breakdown and the electric field intensification created by different points on a structure. It then uses this information to provide the optimum lightning protection system for that specific structure. The result is the most efficient air terminal placement for a selected interception efficiency level.
Ideal for:
- Complex architecture that does not allow for application of a standard installation method
- Protecting substations in compliance with IEEE 998
- Applications without a conventional installation method specified and an enhanced solution is advantageous
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System 3000 is comprised of the proprietary nVent ERICO Dynasphere which captures lightning, the nVent ERICO Ericore downconductor that will safely transmit a direct strike to the earthing system to while protecting the critical equipment and fiber optics while preventing a spark over, and a robust grounding system including nVent ERICO Cadweld connections.
System 3000 is backed by an unprecedented field-validation study that confirms the interception efficiency levels of a CVM-based lightning system.
Tell Us About Your Project!
Tell us about your project or design! Let our dedicated teams of engineers and designers around the world provide support for your lightning protection project.