Proper lightning protection begins with learning how lightning forms.
The High Cost of Lightning Strikes
Whether you are in the petroleum or communications business, you know too well that lightning protection is a very important issue. In fact, lightning strikes are the single most dangerous aspect of running large facilities that are exposed to nature. Therefore, if it is lightning protection for chemical plants, communication tower lightning protection, or lightning protection for oil and gas facilities, it is never too late to put a solution in place to protect your assets. Learn how lightning forms is the first step in beginning to protect your assets from direct and indirect lightning strikes.
What makes lightning strikes particularly dangerous is that it can also cause harm to human life and mechanical equipment. Each year, insurance companies pay out millions of dollars for lightning-related damage. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way; once you understand how lightning forms and you begin to understand and implement the necessary lightning protection equipment.
Understanding How Lightning Forms
Understanding how lightning forms is the first step towards putting in place proper lightning protection. In ancient times, if you were to ask someone how lightning forms, the answer would have depended on who you asked. Not so anymore, especially after Benjamin Franklin proved that lightning is indeed electricity and not some sort of magical phenomena. At its core, the way how lightning forms is actually very simple. When cold air meets warm air and they create electricity together. When cold and warm air mix together, warm air rises and creates clouds containing water droplets. The cold air is cold because it contains ice crystals. When the two meet they will naturally bump into each other and create static electricity in the clouds.
As far as how lightning forms under these conditions, it’s simple. Using battery technology would be a good analogy. Just as a battery, the molecules in the cloud develop both positive and negative energy. The bottom of the cloud will have a mostly negative charge. At some point, the negative charge will get attracted to the positive charge in the ground, and it will cause what we call lightning. Lightning can also jump from cloud to cloud. When this type of activity occurs, it causes the air to expand rapidly, which is what we hear as thunder.
Let the Pros at Lightning Master Corporation Worry About How Lightning Forms
If lightning or how lightning forms mystifies you, then don’t worry, you are not alone. The fact is, most people do not know much about lightning or how lightning forms. They only know that it is beautiful and scary. The truth is, only a handful of experts have a good understanding of lightning and how it behaves, like the professionals at Lightning Master Corporation. Lightning Master has been in the business of lightning protection for over 30 years. We know a thing or two regarding how lightning forms and the best ways to protect your employees and property from lightning strikes.
Once you give us a call, we will send a team of experts to analyze your facility or building and develop a tailor-made solution to protect your employees and property from future lightning strikes and the resultant damage. Our stainless steel products are UL Listed and come with a limited warranty. Lightning Master can be reached at (+1)727 447-6800.