 Notice. New forum software under development. It's going to miss a few functions and look a bit ugly for a while, but I'm working on it full time now as the old forum was too unstable. Couple days, all good. If you notice any issues, please contact me. |
Forum Index : Windmills : lightning protection
| Author | Message | ||||
imsmooth Senior Member  Joined: 07/02/2008 Location: United StatesPosts: 214 |
I added a faraday style cage and rod to my tower. I was hoping to get some feedback to see what the more experienced think. Here is the link |
||||
Tinker Guru  Joined: 07/11/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1904 |
Its unlikely to protect your mill if hit by a direct strike. For a Faraday cage to work it HAS to enclose whatever it is supposed to protect COMPLETELY - all around. Then, if a bolt hits the cage it may spare the mill but will induce 1000's of volts in your mast wiring and fry everything that's connected to it. I think you might be better off in taking your chances and disconnect your house/ inverter/ battery bank from your windmill tower if a thunderstorm is brewing. You do need to have a very good grounding system for the tower/ mast. Klaus |
||||
DaViD Senior Member Joined: 14/01/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 120 |
Now something that I know about 
your wind mill has to be completely isolated from the cage because the strike runs around the cage and into the ground it will take the path of least resistance thus running back up the pole or ground depending on how you have it set up hope this helps. Dave  If your not living on the edge your taking up to much space! |
||||
| imsmooth Senior Member Joined: 07/02/2008 Location: United StatesPosts: 214 |
The wiring is isolated from the mast. I agree that a direct strike could induce voltage in this wiring, which is why I plan to have an arrestor connected to the wiring going to ground. This would take that voltage and shunt it to ground. I also would plan on using a disconnect switch to save the inverter. When the weather gets nicer I will set up my 500kv tesla coil and set up lightning strikes on the tower and see what happens to the wiring coming out the bottom. I will post videos when I do this. |
||||
GWatPE Senior Member Joined: 01/09/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2127 |
Hiu imsmooth, unless you have the amps to back up the volts, then this will not simulate a lightning strike. I live for more than 30 years in Darwin and NASA go there to study lightning, among other things. Latterite[type of ironstone] and tropical storms make for good natural displays of RAW power. I lost many TV, computer, telephone, microwave ovens, etc to lightning strike on my home while I lived there. Direct strikes to your house are a big deal. Gordon. become more energy aware |
||||
| imsmooth Senior Member Joined: 07/02/2008 Location: United StatesPosts: 214 |
gordon, I understand your point that 500kv with low amps is not the same as lightning, but I just want to see if the grid actually diverts the strike from hitting any of the wires. I was going to put a microvolt meter on the wires at the bottom to see if there would be any induced voltage. If I get a small voltage spike this would suggest the system would not work; if I get nothing it will make me feel better. If 500kv doesn't induce microvolts than 500kv x another few hundred thousand might not do anything different. |
||||
| DaViD Senior Member Joined: 14/01/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 120 |
When I was still an iron worker we put up a lot of towers that used RING EARTH ELECTRODES to protect the mounted equipment from the electromagnet power surge of strikes you might look into that for use on a windmill. hope this tiny bit of info. helps If your not living on the edge your taking up to much space! |
||||
 Print this page |
 |
The Back Shed's forum code is written, and hosted, in Australia. | © JAQ Software 2025 |
