Lightening protection

[NCTREE]

Lightning protection

I've been reading up on lightening protection systems and was wondering if it's possible to install lightening protection for a tree without injuring the tree?
I noticed the hardware installed on trees requires drilling to fasten the system to the tree.

 

[mattfr12]

stuff we use are just like little spikes. no drilling just a hamer.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I've been reading up on lightening protection systems and was wondering if it's possible to install lightening protection for a tree without injuring the tree?
I noticed the hardware installed on trees requires drilling to fasten the system to the tree.

They are not very significant, little ringshank nels

 

[NCTREE]

I found some discussions on AS including an article in TCI magazine. BTW read the article on cable alighnment this month nice little invention Jon Mooring and you (Sanborn) came up with. Anyways it doesn't look like the fasteners are injuring the tree bad. I just thought i'd ask to see if anything is out there like that. Is it possible though?

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Is it possible though?

As far as injury? I think that sapsuckers do more injury then a groundline installation. Especially what the systems will do in a lightning prone setting and a irreplaceable tree.

BTW, that is jomoco's invention, I just planted the seed.

 

[treeseer]

send me $8 and i will send you the bmp, which sez the nail goes in only to the xylem.

i like to predrill cracking-prone trees like ash.

the tci articles may have been mine; anything not clear? ask and i may confuse you more...

 

[NCTREE]

send me $8 and i will send you the bmp, which sez the nail goes in only to the xylem.

i like to predrill cracking-prone trees like ash.

the tci articles may have been mine; anything not clear? ask and i may confuse you more...

Thanks treeser but I already have one on the way. Heres the link to the tci article I found http://www.tcia.org/PDFs/TCI_Mag_June_07.pdf

I did read some other discussions on AS.

I understand what JPS is saying about the injury to the tree being minimal. I was wondering if it was possible without injuring the tree. I have my reasons for asking this which I prefer not to get into.

If the cable is extending the length of the leader, then it's weight only has to be supported at the end of the leader to hold it up. The rest of the cable only has to be insulated from the tree. I think this could be done with spacers that aren't fixed to the tree. I could be totally wrong in my thinking but it's worth a try.

 

[NCTREE]

As far as injury? I think that sapsuckers do more injury then a groundline installation. Especially what the systems will do in a lightning prone setting and a irreplaceable tree.

BTW, that is jomoco's invention, I just planted the seed.

jomoco is jon ok, i'm still learning this whole AS thing. It's been real so far

 

[treeseer]

http://www.isa-arbor.com/publications/Lightning/Summaries has a bunch of stuff.

spacers unattached? yeah i gotta see that. Patent material!

have you gone to ipclp.com?

o and that was the mitigation piece; installation is covered in the attached.

darn upload failed--it's in the june or july 2008 tci mag

 

[NCTREE]

I'm no lightning expert but I have read up on how lightning strikes. In my understanding neg charges build up in the clouds. Lightning is released from the clouds towards earth. In order for lightning to make contact with the ground, the ground has to release pos.feeders(I guess you could call this ground lightning) from the ground to connect with the lightning. So if that true then couldn't you neutralize and area on the ground so lightning couldn't make contact?

 

[treeseer]

I'm no lightning expert but I have read up on how lightning strikes.

You may want to read a little more:

http://www.isa-arbor.com/publications/Lightning/Summaries

 

[NCTREE]

Read what???

http://www.isa-arbor.com/publication...ning/Summaries

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

So if that true then couldn't you neutralize and area on the ground so lightning couldn't make contact?

In a word, no. Doesn't work that way.




I noticed the magazine article mentioned keeping the conductor as straight as possible. "A straight line is preferred for maximum effectiveness," That's important when dealing with lightning. Keep any bends as gradual as possible. No kinks, no tight curves.

 

[RacerX]

Here's a good article on lightning, although not directly related to trees the principles are the same:

http://www.lightning.org/documents/Chapter_on_LP_Feb._2009-Titled.pdf

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

In a word, no. Doesn't work that way.

I noticed the magazine article mentioned keeping the conductor as straight as possible. "A straight line is preferred for maximum effectiveness," That's important when dealing with lightning. Keep any bends as gradual as possible. No kinks, no tight curves.

I remember reading somewhere that the standard is a minimum of an eight inch bend radius, otherwise it will tend to arc over.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Yeah, and that's mentioned in the article that RacerX linked to. Looks like an excellent article.

 

[treeseer]

sorry the link did not work. if you just go to the isa site and search "lightning" you will find 2 days worth of stuff here http://www.isa-arbor.com/publications/LightningSymposium.aspx

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

There's some cool stuff there, tree.


Interesting to see the PPT by Dr. Raven, particularly the last slide on the effectiveness of corona discharge systems. I've read about those for communications towers, back when they were new, but haven't seen them really deployed. Looks like they're not as effective as claimed.

 

[NCTREE]

Thank RacerX and treeser, both very info. I done some cabling here and there, most common ground splicing. I done a couple EHS cable jobs but would like to do more along with lightning protection. Doesn't seem like many tree guys around here do that stuff.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

There's some cool stuff there, tree.


Interesting to see the PPT by Dr. Raven, /QUOTE]

I had to look through it, the name is Rison, FWIW. I did like it, and how the rolling sphere model does not always work in the field.

http://www.isa-arbor.com/publications/Lightning/PowerPoint/RisonAirTerminals_PPT2003.pps