Technical Talk : LIGHTNING PROTECTION, GROUNDING AND SURGE PROTECTION  

back

Date : Sunday, 31st July 2005
Time : 6.30 pm – 7.00 pm (Arrival of Participants & Light Snacks), 7.30 pm – 8.30 pm (Technical Talk)
Speaker : Roy B. Carpenter, Jr., Chief Technologist, Lightning Protection Systems Lightning Eliminators & Consultants, nc.of Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A.
Venue : IET Office, Block B9 Unit 1, Simpang 32-66, Kawasan Anggerek Desa, Berakas
E-mail : ieebrunei@brunet.bn 

For the younger member and students, please register at
E-mail : ymsbrunei@brunet.bn 

Contact No. : +673 8129119
Cost : B$5 for IET member, B$8 for non-member for refreshment and venue preparation only.    

Among the topic covered will be on:

The Lightning Threat which define the conditions and environment that exists before, during and after lightning. Examine the lightning stroke mechanism, parameters and related physical characteristics. The secondary effects of lightning and thunderstorm activity.

Conventional Protection Techniques which discuss the operating principles of conventional lightning protection. History, purpose and function of Franklin systems. The secondary effects of lightning as handled by conventional systems.

Stroke Prevention Techniques. Operating principles of lightning strike prevention systems.
Hybrid collection/discharge systems. Introduction to the Dissipation Array System, and practical examples.

Grounding Technology. Definition of grounding requirements. Identification of factors related to achieving a good ground connection. Design techniques and calculations; resistance and resistivity measurements.

Grounding Techniques. Evaluation of various ground connections. Replacement of high resistivity soil with conductive soil.

Chemical Ground Rods . Introduction of the Chem-Rod and comparison to other ground rods.

TVSS Requirements. Surge capacity. UL and IEEE; Surge protection by category. TVSS Design, component selection and construction; Series vs. parallel

Introduction of LEC Technologies and Equipment. Sandwich Block for AC power protection Data Line Protectors for low voltage line protection

Mr. Carpenter has accumulated over 50 years of Electrical and Electronic Systems Engineering experience. The last thirty-four of these years have been devoted to the study of lightning protection requirements, and the development of protection products that satisfy the needs of contemporary lightning related problems. Mr. Carpenter has been acclaimed as the foremost lightning protection expert in the world today. His services have been solicited by major corporations, government and military personnel throughout the world.

Mr. Carpenter started his career with the U.S. Air Force, working with them both as a member of the military and civilian staff. Key positions included Project Engineering for major communications and radar systems, plus technical advisor to NATO. Later he accepted an appointment with the Apollo Project as Chief of Reliability and Qualification Testing. Subsequently he developed extended stay modules for space travel and lunar exploration, completing his career as Chief Engineer for the first Space Shuttle design team.

Mr. Carpenter left the space program in 1971 to provide the industry with a source of lightning protection technology from a systems-engineered perspective. His experiences during the space program proved that the engineering profession was inhibited by a lack of understanding of the lightning termination phenomena, and its influences on electrical and electronic systems. The past 34 years have been devoted to filling that gap. As a result of that commitment, he has developed nearly 100 specialized products and acquired 13 patents. He has never encountered a lightning related problem that could not be eliminated. These include all forms of primary and secondary effects of a lightning discharge.

Grounding system design has also been included in his expertise. As a result, Mr. Carpenter has successfully reduced these design problems to a rational process with predictable results. Products have been developed that permit the achievement of any reasonable grounding resistance, anywhere in the world, including those without rain.

Mr. Carpenter performed his university studies at Northeastern, Syracuse, and West Coast Universities. He is a Senior Life Member of IEEE, a member of the USA NFPA-780 Committee on Lightning Protection Systems. He has presented many technical papers, supplied countless articles for technical journals in the US and other countries. These have been published in at least six languages, holds many patents and awards, and has been a guest lecturer in many parts of the world.