An industrial building found along this path will be connected to the ground, have buried grounding wires, cables and other access points where the current can enter the structure. As the current moves through the ground, it naturally wants to find a way to equalize and travel along the path of least resistance. This difference in voltage levels is the cause of the trouble. Similarly, the ground potential at the release point can be hundreds of Volts higher that it will be even a few hundred meters/feet away. The ripples are more frequent and intense at the point of origin, growing longer and less intense as the wave moves outward. Imagine a large rock being dropped into a still pond. When a high surge of current is released into the ground by a lightning strike (or something similar, like a downed power line), the energy spreads out like a wave. Ground Voltage: An Ever Changing Wave of Potential DestructionĪ brief review of what causes the phenomenon of high ground voltage will be helpful in understanding how industrial locations can effectively protect themselves against costly electrical component and equipment damage. Transmission line surges, wiring errors, ground loops and internal complications can also cause transient voltage to run unwanted across networks, phone lines, serial communication systems and other equipment. Lightning strikes are not the only sources of damaging high voltage surges. Our standard off-the-shelf and custom-designed isolation solutions protect vital data and valuable equipment in the harshest environments. That is why many of the top manufacturers of medical equipment turn to B+B SmartWorx for their data connectivity requirements. For example, the reliability of medical equipment is an absolute must. While the cost in dollars may be alarming, you cannot put a dollar value on human life. National Lightning Detection Network estimates an average of 25 million cloud-to-ground strikes each year. Further punctuating the risk of surge damage, the U.S. The National Lightning Safety Institute estimates that damage of this nature cost companies and individuals between $4 and $5 billion USD annually. Unfortunately, this kind of damage to unprotected equipment is not uncommon. The result was “deaths of two trees, a fire in electrical equipment, complete destruction of all phone wiring and severe damage to electrical fixtures.” (NASA, Science Dept., “Human Voltage”, June 18, 1999) While the building itself was never directly struck, it did absorb a high degree of the ground voltage discharged from the nearby strikes. Within a five month period, five separate lightning discharges occurred in the area. A building in North Carolina USA, located within 45 meters (50 yd) of a 42 meter (45 yd) water tower was used in the study. This means that if your networks switches are powered by more than one breaker panel in the building you have the potential for ground loops.In 1999 the science department at NASA conducted a study on lightning, ground voltage and structural impact. This sometimes happens during nearby lightning strikes when panels are on remote ends of buildings or different floors. In larger homes or buildings with multiple panels different ground potentials can exist within a single structure. This frequently happens when networks are communicating with separate buildings on the property and lightning hits near the home or business. Lightning and power surges can damage your network by creating damaging ground potentials, i.e., ground loops, within your networks power system. Plug In or Hard Wired ground loop isolator surge protector unit stops ground currents and other transients from traveling up ground wires and damaging electronics systems. Eliminate damage from ground loop potentials between grounding systems during lightning strikes.
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