A Critical Review of Lightning ProtectionSystems: Science, Standards, and Safety

1. Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Damage

2. Ground Reference Potential Change Damage

3. Strikes to Power and Data Lines Causing Surges

4. Physical or Direct Strike Damage

1. Air Terminals: These are the pointed metal rods, often called lightning rods, that are mounted on the highest points of a structure. The purpose of the air terminals is to intercept the lightning strike. 2. Down Conductors: These are heavy-duty electrical conductors, typically made of copper or aluminum, that connect the air terminals to the grounding The

3. Grounding System: This is a network of buried conductors, often in the form of a ground ring encircling the structure, that is designed to dissipate the lightning current safely into the A low-impedance grounding system is essential for the effective operation of a lightning protection system.

1. Direct Strike Protection: The Faraday cage intercepts the lightning strike and provides a safe path for the current to flow to the ground, preventing it from passing through the structure and causing physical 2. Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Protection: The Faraday cage also shields the interior of the structure from the powerful electromagnetic pulse (EMP) that is generated by a lightning This is the most important function of a lightning protection system, as EMP is the most common cause of lightning-related damage.

National Fire Protection Research Foundation, "A Critical Review of Early Streamer Emission Air Terminals," Quincy, MA, 1995. A. Uman and V. A. Rakov, "A Critical Review of Nonconventional Approaches to Lightning Protection," Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, vol. 83, no. 12,

1809-1820, 2002. [Online]. Available: http://www.lightning.ece.ufl.edu/PDF/umanrakov.pdf Heary Lightning Protection Co. v. National Fire Protection Association, No. CIV 99-185-TUC-WDB (D. Ariz. Mar. 28, 2005). International Conference on Lightning Protection (ICLP), "Statement on ESE (Early Streamer Emission) Lightning Protection Systems," [Online]. Available: