Lightning suppression arrester and lightning suppression arrester device

Abstract

To provide a lightning suppression device that effectively suppresses the generation of upward streamers when a thundercloud approaches and has improved manufacturability.SOLUTION: A lightning suppression arrester includes: an outer electrode body 1 having a cavity therein; an inner electrode body 2 placed in the cavity; an electrical insulator 3 that insulates the outer electrode body 1 from the inner electrode body 2; a support 4 that supports the inner electrode body 2; and a holding member 5 that holds the outer electrode body 1 and the inner electrode body 2 at a predetermined distance. The holding member 5 is provided with a holding portion k that holds the outer electrode body 1. The outer electrode body 1 has a cylindrical main body portion 11, and a hemispherical spherical portion 12 provided on one end side of the main body portion 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a lightning suppression arrester and a lightning suppression arrester device for protecting objects to be protected, such as buildings and equipment, from lightning damage by suppressing lightning strikes. [Background technology]

[0002] Inside the thundercloud, charge separation occurs, and the lower part is negatively charged. For example, if the base of a thundercloud is negatively charged, electrostatic induction causes the surface of the earth below the thundercloud to be positively charged.

[0003] At this time, high locations that are grounded to the earth, such as lightning rods and trees, have a high density of positive charges because they are close to the thundercloud. Here, inside the thundercloud, the electric potential difference is so large due to charge separation that the electrical insulation of the atmosphere is locally broken down, causing a weak discharge.

[0004] In a lightning strike, a weak discharge of negative charge (step leader) first progresses downward from the thundercloud and then continues intermittently toward the ground. On the other hand, because the potential difference between the base of the thundercloud and the vicinity of the surface of the earth is very large, the electrical insulation of the atmosphere is locally broken down, and weak discharges of positive charge (streamers) are occurring near the surface of the earth, particularly from lightning rods, trees, etc., upward.

[0005] When the step leader and streamer join together, the discharge path electrically connects the bottom of the thundercloud to the surface of the earth, and a very strong current (return current) flows according to the potential difference. This return current is what is commonly called a lightning strike.

[0006] In the conventional lightning protection concept, it was assumed that lightning strikes could not be prevented, and so most of the time the lightning strikes were received by a pointed lightning rod (Franklin rod) and then channeled to the ground.

[0007] In response to this, the present inventors have proposed a lightning strike suppression type lightning arrester as disclosed in Patent Document 1, in order to protect an object to be protected by minimizing the occurrence of lightning strikes. This lightning strike suppression type arrester has an upper electrode body and a lower electrode body arranged with an insulator sandwiched between them, and only the lower electrode body is grounded.

[0008] According to the above device, when a thundercloud with negative charges distributed at the cloud base approaches, the opposite charges (positive charges) are distributed on the surface of the earth, and positive charges also gather on the grounded lower electrode body. As a result, the upper electrode body disposed with the insulator interposed therebetween becomes negatively charged due to the action of the capacitor. This action makes it difficult for upward streamers to occur in the lightning arrester and its surroundings, thereby suppressing the occurrence of lightning strikes.

[0009] Furthermore, the present inventors have made improvements to the lightning strike suppression type lightning arrester shown in Patent Document 1, and have proposed the lightning strike suppression type lightning arrester shown in Patent Document 2. This lightning suppression type lightning arrester comprises an outer electrode body having a cavity therein, an inner electrode body placed in the cavity, an electrical insulator that insulates the outer electrode body from the inner electrode body, and a support body that supports the inner electrode body.

[0010] According to the above device, it is possible to create a structure in which the inner electrode body is enclosed by the outer electrode body having a cavity therein. As a result, most of the periphery of the outer electrode body is covered with negative charges.

[0011] Therefore, the outer electrode body covers the inner electrode body, preventing the upward streamers generated from the inner electrode body from rising into the sky and preventing them from connecting with the step leaders descending from the sky, thereby improving the lightning strike suppression effect. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5839331 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6934668 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0013] However, as already mentioned, the lightning suppression type lightning arrester shown in Patent Document 2 has an inner electrode body and an outer electrode body each having a spherical shape as a whole, which poses a problem in that it involves certain difficulties in manufacturing (the molding process of each electrode body).

[0014] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its objective is to provide a lightning suppression arrester and a lightning suppression arrester device that are easy to manufacture while effectively suppressing the generation of upward streamers when a thundercloud approaches. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an electrode assembly including an outer electrode body having a cavity therein, an inner electrode body disposed in the cavity, an electrical insulator that insulates the outer electrode body from the inner electrode body, a support body that supports the inner electrode body, and a holding member that holds the outer electrode body and the inner electrode body at a predetermined distance, the holding member is provided with a holding portion that holds the outer electrode body, The outer electrode body has a cylindrical main body and a hemispherical spherical portion provided on one end side of the main body.

[0016] According to the present invention, the outer electrode body is not spherical overall, but has a cylindrical main body and a hemispherical spherical portion provided on one end of the main body, so that the worker can manufacture the outer electrode body simply by processing the end of the tubular body. This improves the manufacturability (ease of processing and assembly) of the surge arrester while still providing the effect of suppressing the generation of upward streamers due to the positional relationship between the outer electrode body and the inner electrode body.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the inner electrode body is formed in a spherical shape.

[0018] By adopting such a configuration, the shape of the inner electrode body can be adapted to the shape of the spherical portion of the outer electrode body, and an arrangement in which the inner electrode body as a whole is appropriately spaced from the inner surface of the outer electrode body can be easily realized. This makes it possible to make the charge distribution on the surfaces of the outer electrode body and the inner electrode body approximately uniform, thereby preventing local short circuits and further improving the lightning strike suppression effect.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the hemispherical spherical portion includes a curved portion formed by drawing one end of the main body portion, and a sphere forming a central portion of the spherical portion.

[0020] With this configuration, when processing the end of a tubular body, the worker does not need to use advanced techniques such as squeezing to close the end into a spherical shape, but can easily process the end into a closed state by closing the end using a separate sphere.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the support is formed in a rod shape, and the holding member is provided with an insertion hole through which the support is inserted.

[0022] With this configuration, when assembling the support body (and the internal electrode body) with the holding member, the worker only needs to insert the support body into the through-hole of the holding member, improving the efficiency of the assembly work.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the holding portion includes a support surface that supports the other end of the main body portion.

[0024] With this configuration, when assembling the outer electrode body and the holding member, the worker only needs to abut the other end of the main body portion against the support surface and join this abutting portion, greatly improving the ease of assembly.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the holding member has an insulating holding member body and a metal support plate on which the support surface is provided.

[0026] With this configuration, workers can firmly join the outer electrode body (main body) and the holding member by welding, and by increasing the area of ​​negative charge, the lightning strike suppression effect can be improved.

[0027] The present invention also provides a lightning suppression type lightning arrester device, which is configured by fixing the above-mentioned lightning suppression type arrester at a position where lightning should be suppressed via the support body and grounding the inner electrode body via the support body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0028] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a lightning suppression arrester and a lightning suppression arrester device that are easy to manufacture while effectively suppressing the generation of upward streamers when a thundercloud approaches. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] 1 is an enlarged perspective view of a lightning suppression arrester according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the lightning suppression arrester according to the embodiment of the present invention taken along line AA'. FIG. [Figure 3] 3A to 3C are explanatory diagrams illustrating a manufacturing process of a lightning suppression arrester according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 3A to 3C are explanatory diagrams illustrating a manufacturing process of a lightning suppression arrester according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 3A to 3C are explanatory diagrams illustrating a manufacturing process of a lightning suppression arrester according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 3A to 3C are explanatory diagrams illustrating a manufacturing process of a lightning suppression arrester according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a modified example of a lightning strike suppression arrester according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a modified example of a lightning strike suppression arrester according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a modified example of a lightning strike suppression arrester according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] Hereinafter, a lightning-strike suppression arrester according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The following embodiment is an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment. In these figures, the symbol X indicates the lightning suppression arrester according to this embodiment.

[0031] <Configuration> The configuration of the lightning strike suppression type arrester X (hereinafter referred to as arrester X) will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2 shows only the outer electrode body 1 and the holding member 5, which will be described later, in cross section. This also applies to FIG. 3 and subsequent figures. 2 shows a plan view of only a holding member main body 51, which will be described later.

[0032] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the lightning arrester X includes an outer electrode body 1 having a cavity therein, an inner electrode body 2 placed in the cavity, an electrical insulator 3 that insulates the outer electrode body 1 from the inner electrode body 2, a support body 4 that supports the inner electrode body 2, and a holding member 5 that holds the outer electrode body 1 and the inner electrode body 2 at a predetermined distance. The lightning arrester X refers to a configuration in which the inner electrode body 2 is not grounded.

[0033] The outer electrode body 1 has a substantially cylindrical main body 11 and a hemispherical spherical portion 12 provided on one end side (upper side) of the main body 11. The outer electrode body 1 can be made of a conductive metal such as stainless steel or an aluminum alloy.

[0034] As described above, the main body 11 has one end closed by providing a spherical portion 12 on one side thereof, and the other end is configured as an open end that communicates between the inside and outside so that a support 4 or the like can be inserted, as shown particularly in Figure 2.

[0035] The spherical surface portion 12 includes a curved surface portion 12 a formed by drawing one end of the main body portion 11 , and a sphere 12 b that forms the center portion of the spherical surface portion 12 .

[0036] The inner electrode body 2 is formed in a spherical shape. The internal electrode body 2 is not limited to a spherical shape, and may be formed into a hollow shape having a predetermined thickness, or may be elliptical or have other shapes. Similarly to the outer electrode body 1, the inner electrode body 2 can also be made of a conductive metal such as stainless steel or an aluminum alloy.

[0037] In this embodiment, the electrical insulator 3 is the internal space (air) of the outer electrode body 1, but this space may be filled with an electrically insulating material such as synthetic resin or ceramic, and this may serve as the electrical insulator 3.

[0038] The support 4 is formed as a substantially cylindrical rod-like body made of a conductive metal, and the inner electrode body 2 is provided at the tip (upper end) thereof. The support body 4 and the internal electrode body 2 may be integrally formed from a conductive metal such as stainless steel or an aluminum alloy, or may be joined by joining means such as welding or screw connection. The base end (lower end) of the support 4 is connected to the upper surface of the base B for stably installing the lightning arrester X at a predetermined installation location.

[0039] The holding member 5 includes an insulating holding member main body 51 and a metal support plate 52 provided with a support surface that supports the other end of the main body portion 11.

[0040] The holding member main body 51 is composed of a substantially cylindrical main portion 51a whose outer diameter is substantially the same as the inner diameter of the main body portion 11, and a substantially cylindrical protruding portion 51b that protrudes downward from approximately the center of the bottom surface of the main portion 51a. The holding member body 51 can be preferably made of, for example, synthetic resin or ceramic, but other electrically insulating materials can also be used.

[0041] The holding member main body 51 is provided with an insertion hole t1 that extends vertically from approximately the center thereof and penetrates therethrough, and the support body 4 is inserted into this insertion hole t1. The diameter of the insertion hole t1 is set so that the support body 4 can be inserted tightly without any rattle.

[0042] The main portion 51a is provided with through holes h1 that penetrate in the up-down direction at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction of the main portion 51a.

[0043] The protruding portion 51b is configured to protrude downward from the lower surface of the support plate 52 when the lightning arrester X is in an assembled state. This allows the position of the support body 4 where exposure to the outside from the holding member 5 begins to be separated from the outer electrode body 1, making it possible to prevent lightning strikes at this position.

[0044] The support plate 52 is a substantially disk-shaped body having a secondary insertion hole t2 at its approximate center, the inner diameter of which is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the protruding portion 51b. Furthermore, the upper surface of the support plate 52 abuts against the other end (open end) of the main body 11, and thus supports the other end of the main body 11 with the upper surface serving as a support surface. Furthermore, the support plate 52 is provided with a plurality of through holes h2 that correspond to the respective through holes h1 and are capable of communicating with each other.

[0045] Each through hole h1 and each through hole h2 communicating with it form an internal pressure adjustment hole h that communicates between the inside and outside of the outer electrode body 1. This ensures that the inner electrode body 2 will not come out even if the internal pressure of the outer electrode body 1 suddenly rises due to an unexpected lightning strike or the like. The internal pressure adjusting hole h may be provided with a valve that opens at a predetermined internal pressure, or a plug that opens to the outside.

[0046] <Assembly method> Hereinafter, a method for assembling (manufacturing) the lightning arrester X will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0047] First, the worker manufactures the outer electrode body 1 as shown in FIG.

[0048] In more detail, as shown in Figure 3(a), the worker inserts an approximately cylindrical tubular body P made of a conductive metal into the inside of a molded container W, the bottom of which is a hole with an approximately hemispherical inner surface shape, along its axial direction and presses it toward the bottom. At this time, the worker may insert and press one end of the tubular body P into the inside of the formed container W in a state where it has been heat-treated and annealed at a certain temperature so as to facilitate plastic deformation.

[0049] As a result, as shown in FIG. 3(b), a drawn curved surface portion 12a is formed at one end of the tubular body P, but in this case, an opening portion c remains in the center.

[0050] Next, as shown in Figure 3(b), the worker pushes the sphere 12b into the opening portion c from inside the tubular body P and joins the inner surface of the opening portion c with the outer surface of the sphere 12b, thereby closing the opening portion c.

[0051] In this way, the outer electrode body 1 is manufactured as shown in FIG. 3(c). As a method for joining the inner peripheral surface of the opening portion c and the outer peripheral surface of the sphere 12b, for example, the inner peripheral surface of the opening portion c may be annealed by heat treating it at a certain temperature, and then the surfaces may be welded together.

[0052] Next, the worker connects the support body 4 (and the inner electrode body 2) to the outer electrode body 1 via the holding member main body 51, as shown in FIG.

[0053] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the worker inserts the support 4 from its lower end into the insertion hole t1, then places the outer electrode body 1 over the inner electrode body 2, and pushes the main portion 51a into the cavity of the outer electrode body 1. At this time, the worker can apply adhesive (not shown) to the outer peripheral surface of the main portion 51a and the inner peripheral surface of the main body portion 11, for example, to firmly bond them together.

[0054] As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the inner electrode body 2 and the upper part of the support body 4 are arranged in the cavity of the outer electrode body 1 via the holding member 5 in a state of being electrically insulated from the outer electrode body 1.

[0055] Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the worker inserts the auxiliary insertion hole t2 of the support plate 52 into the support body 4, and brings the upper surface of the support plate 52 into contact with the other end of the main body 11. At this time, the worker pushes the protruding portions 51b into the auxiliary insertion holes t2 while adjusting the orientation of the support plate 52 around the axis so that the through holes h2 communicate with the through holes h1.

[0056] The main body 11 and the support plate 52 can be joined by welding, for example, at the outer edges of the contact points. The auxiliary insertion hole t2 and the protruding portion 51b may be joined together using an adhesive, similar to the joining of the main portion 51a and the main body portion 11.

[0057] This allows the upper parts of the inner electrode body 2 and the support body 4 to be more stably disposed in the cavity of the outer electrode body 1, as shown in FIG.

[0058] Finally, as shown in FIG. 6, the worker joins the lower end of the support body 4 and the base portion B by, for example, welding, thereby achieving the state shown in FIG. 2, and the lightning arrester X is assembled. In this embodiment, the outer surface of the holding member main body 51 that abuts against the inner surface of the main body portion 11 and the upper surface of the support plate 52 that abuts against the other end of the main body portion 11 become the holding portion k that holds the outer electrode body 1.

[0059] The lightning arrester X assembled in this manner is installed and fixed on or near an object to be protected from lightning strikes, and is used as a lightning strike suppression type lightning arrester (hereinafter referred to as a lightning arrester). The lightning arrester means a configuration in which the inner electrode body 2 of the lightning arrester X portion is grounded via a support 4 or the like, thereby enabling the lightning arresting function to be exerted.

[0060] During installation, additional connection supports, tubular members, insulators, support structures, bolts and nuts, etc. are used. The support 4 is grounded to the earth G directly or via a steam-adding member, a grounding wire, or the like.

[0061] <Effects> First, the lightning strike suppression function of the lightning arrester of this embodiment installed in this manner will be described.

[0062] When a thundercloud with negative charges distributed at the cloud base approaches, the opposite charges (positive charges) are distributed on the surface of the earth G, and positive charges also gather on the inner electrode body 2 which is grounded to the earth G via a support 4 or the like. On the other hand, the outer electrode body 1, which faces the inner electrode body 2 via the electrical insulator 3 (and the holding member main body 51), is negatively charged by the action of the capacitor.

[0063] This action makes it difficult for upward streamers to occur on the outer electrode body 1 and its periphery, thereby suppressing the occurrence of lightning strikes. Furthermore, since the outer electrode body 1 is provided so as to cover almost the entire periphery of the inner electrode body 2, most of the upper end portion (arrestor portion) of the lightning arrester is negatively charged.

[0064] This can significantly reduce the area of ​​positive charge that generates upward streamers, and can significantly improve the lightning strike suppression effect.

[0065] Next, in addition to the lightning strike suppression function described above, the unique effects obtained by this embodiment will be described.

[0066] That is, according to this embodiment, the shape of the outer electrode body 1 improves the manufacturability of the surge arrester X (ease of processing and assembly).

[0067] Furthermore, since the inner electrode body 2 is formed in a spherical shape, depending on the arrangement state relative to the outer electrode body 1, the charge distribution on the surfaces of the outer electrode body 1 and the inner electrode body 2 can be made approximately uniform, preventing local short circuits and further improving the lightning strike suppression effect.

[0068] Furthermore, since the spherical portion 12 includes the curved portion 12a and the sphere 12b that forms the central portion of the spherical portion 12, the worker can easily process the end portion so that it is closed.

[0069] Furthermore, since the support body 4 is formed in a rod shape and an insertion hole t is provided in the holding member main body 51, when assembling the support body 4 (and the inner electrode body 2) with the holding member main body 51, the worker only needs to insert the support body 4 into the insertion hole t, greatly improving the ease of assembly.

[0070] Furthermore, the metal support plate 52 allows the worker to firmly join the main body 11 and the holding member 5 by welding, and by increasing the area of ​​negative charge, the lightning strike suppression effect can be improved.

[0071] <Example of change> The shapes and dimensions of the components shown in the above embodiment are merely examples and can be modified in various ways based on design requirements and the like.

[0072] For example, the method for manufacturing the outer electrode body 1 is not limited to the method described above, and may be the method shown in FIG.

[0073] More specifically, in the method shown in Figure 7, the worker may manufacture the tubular body main body 11 and the hemispherical spherical portion 12 as separate bodies, and then join the end faces of these bodies by a technique such as welding (Figure 7(a)), thereby manufacturing the outer electrode body 1 as shown in Figure 7(b).

[0074] FIG. 8 shows an example of an arrester X assembled using the outer electrode body 1 manufactured by the above method. In this modified example, the inner electrode body 2 can be positioned higher than in the case shown in Figure 2 etc. because the sphere 12b is not present, and the distance from the surface of the inner electrode body 2 to the spherical portion 12 can be made approximately the same.

[0075] Furthermore, the configuration of the holding member 5 is not limited to the above-described method, and may be the configuration shown in FIG.

[0076] More specifically, the holding member 5 shown in FIG. 9 has a holding member main body 51 and a support plate 52 that are integrally formed as one member from an electrically insulating material. This allows the worker to simply insert the support 4 (and the internal electrode body 2) into the insertion hole t of the holding member 5 when assembling the support 4 (and the internal electrode body 2) with the holding member 5, improving the ease of assembly. Furthermore, the work of alignment for communicating each through hole h1 with each through hole h2 is no longer necessary, which also improves the ease of assembly.

[0077] Furthermore, the method of joining the holding member 5 and the main body 11 may be, other than adhesion, a method of driving a plurality of screws b in the radial direction as shown in FIG.

[0078] In addition, the outer diameter of the support plate 52 may be set to be approximately the same as the outer diameter of the main body 11, so that it appears more integrated with the main body 11.

[0079] The word "abbreviated" in the application documents is a concept that means that the shape that follows has been chamfered or rounded, and that the elements that make up the shape have been deformed or changed in length within a range that does not impede the purpose of the shape. [Industrial Applicability]

[0080] The lightning suppression arrester and lightning protection device of the present invention can be effectively used as lightning protection equipment to protect objects to be protected, such as various buildings and structures, various equipment and devices, and communication equipment, by suppressing lightning strikes. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] X lightning arrester 1 Outer electrode body 11 Main body 12 Spherical part 2 Inner electrode body 3 Electrical insulators 4 Support 5. Retaining member 51 Holding member body 52 Support plate B Base

Claims

1. an outer electrode body having a cavity therein; an inner electrode body disposed in the cavity; an electrical insulator that insulates the outer electrode body from the inner electrode body; a support body that supports the inner electrode body; and a holding member that holds the outer electrode body and the inner electrode body at a predetermined distance; the holding member is provided with a holding portion that holds the outer electrode body, the outer electrode body has a cylindrical main body and a hemispherical spherical portion provided on one end side of the main body, The inner electrode body is formed in a spherical shape, The hemispherical spherical portion includes a curved portion formed by drawing one end side of the main body portion, and a sphere that forms the central portion of the spherical portion.

2. an outer electrode body having a cavity therein; an inner electrode body disposed in the cavity; an electrical insulator that insulates the outer electrode body from the inner electrode body; a support body that supports the inner electrode body; and a holding member that holds the outer electrode body and the inner electrode body at a predetermined distance; the holding member is provided with a holding portion that holds the outer electrode body, the outer electrode body has a cylindrical main body and a hemispherical spherical portion provided on one end side of the main body, The support is formed in a rod shape, The holding member is provided with an insertion hole through which the support member is inserted, The holding portion is a lightning suppression arrester having an insulating holding member main body and a metal support plate provided with a support surface that supports the other end of the main body portion.

3. A lightning suppression type lightning arrester device comprising: a lightning suppression type arrester according to claim 1 or 2; fixed via the support body at a position where lightning should be suppressed; and the inner electrode body being grounded via the support body.

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