Active Lightning Arrester Using Carbon Composite for Corrosion Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lightning arresters face challenges in effectively and safely discharging thundercloud charges to the ground, particularly in high-rise and high-density buildings, due to reduced distance between structures and thunderclouds, leading to potential lightning strikes on buildings rather than the arrester, and suffer from corrosion and weight-related installation issues in coastal or industrial areas.
Innovation Solution
An active lightning arrester design featuring a fixing plate, rod member, insulators, charging plates, a charging tube, a needle electrode, and a discharge induction conductor electrode made from carbon or graphite materials, forming a discharge path between a thundercloud and the ground, with a specific configuration to induce discharge and prevent corrosion, ensuring rapid and safe charge dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a metal arrester is used to discharge thundercloud charges, then the discharge function is achieved, but the arrester is heavy and susceptible to corrosion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from metal to carbon composite, fundamentally altering the physical and chemical properties of the arrester. This material substitution reduces weight while maintaining electrical conductivity and discharge functionality, directly resolving the contradiction between reliability and weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs carbon composite materials that combine the beneficial properties of carbon (lightweight, corrosion-resistant, conductive) to create an arrester that achieves both reduced weight and maintained discharge function. The composite structure allows the arrester to resist corrosion while keeping weight low.
2Reliability
If a metal arrester is used to discharge thundercloud charges, then the discharge function is achieved, but the arrester is susceptible to corrosion from salt and sulfurous acid
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material composition from metal to carbon composite, fundamentally altering the chemical resistance properties. Carbon materials are inherently resistant to corrosion from salt and sulfurous acid, eliminating the degradation issues that plague metal arresters in coastal and industrial environments while maintaining the discharge function.
Solution Approach 2:
The carbon composite material used in the arrester provides both electrical conductivity for discharge function and chemical inertness for corrosion resistance. This composite approach simultaneously achieves reliability in discharge while eliminating susceptibility to harmful environmental factors like salt and sulfurous acid.
3Area of stationary object
If the distance between building and thundercloud is reduced in high-rise buildings, then the protection coverage is improved, but the lightning may strike the building structure instead of the arrester
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs preliminary action by proactively creating an ionized discharge path from the arrester toward the approaching thundercloud before lightning naturally strikes. The active discharge mechanism initiates an electrical connection in advance, guiding the lightning current into the arrester rather than allowing it to randomly strike the building structure, thus ensuring reliable interception even at reduced distances.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively and safely discharges thundercloud charges to the ground, minimizing damage to protected structures by directing lightning to the arrester and reducing corrosion and weight-related installation challenges through the use of carbon or graphite materials.
Implementation Method 1
a discharge induction conductor electrode electrically connected to the charging plates between the insulators and the charging plates so as to induce discharge between the needle electrode member and the discharge induction conductor electrode and emit ion charges through the discharge to atmosphere
Implementation Method 2
emit ion charges through the discharge to atmosphere
Implementation Method 3
a rod member coupled to the ground means at one end in the longitudinal direction and charged with the charges of the ground; charging plates provided between the neighboring insulators separately from the rod member so as to be electrically insulated and charged with a polarity opposite to that of the charges of the ground
Implementation Method 4
charged with the charges of the ground; charged with a polarity opposite to that of the charges of the ground
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an arrester, comprising: a rod member coupled to a ground means at one end in the longitudinal direction and charged with charges of the ground; a plurality of insulators provided to be spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of the rod member; an charging plates provided between the neighboring insulators separately from the rod member so as to be electrically insulated and charged with a polarity opposite to that of the charges of the ground; a charging tube provided between the charging plates and the insulators, electrically connected to the charging plates, and charged with charges having a polarity opposite to that of the charges of the ground; a needle electrode member provided to the upper end of the rod member and having a needle-shaped part; and a discharge induction conductor electrode electrically connected to the charging plates between the insulators and the charging plates so as to induce discharge between the needle electrode member and the discharge induction conductor electrode and emit ion charges through the discharge, thereby forming a discharge path between a thundercloud and the needle electrode.