A Closer Look at Our Lightning Protection Systems
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Petro Guardian recommends that production and saltwater disposal facilities be equipped with lightning protection systems comprised of either appropriately placed dissipation points or a catenary system. There are a few factors that determine which protection plan is best a site.
A dissipation system is best for tanks that are horizontally vented and not venting flammable gas above the tank.
To minimize the risk of static discharge from the isolated metal bodies, before any of the static mitigation and lightning dissipation devices are installed, it is important that all the metal infrastructure including isolated metal assets are electrically bonded to a common grounded backbone.
The Static Lasso® is a system that deploys grounded non-corrosive material with a multitude of small points that remain in direct contact with the fluid and vapors inside a tank. In contrast to chains, rods, and plates, which are not effective since they present a flat surface, the Static Lasso® features a frayed carbon fiber assembly which contains a multitude of microscopic points.
Fiberglass tanks at production and disposal sites are generally installed as part of a tank battery in combination with steel tanks. The risk of a lightning strike to an individual tank with a tank battery is almost impossible to evaluate, and a protection system is generally designed to protect the whole tank battery from a direct lightning strike. The protection system, however, must be designed in a manner that isolated metal bodies on the tank battery and on each individual fiberglass tank are bonded to the lightning protection system. A lightning rod based lightning protection system is installed directly over the tank vent piping infrastructure and bonding of isolated metal bodies is a core design component.
Every year, truck fires and tank battery fires occur because of improper static bonding during load out. Petro Guardian manufactures and installs the appropriate truck load out assembly to ground and bond the truck before the start of the transfer operation.
Grounding the thief hatch assembly minimizes the risk of static accumulation. Thief hatch fires and injuries can be prevented by adequate bonding and grounding of the thief hatch lid and base.
We install our Static Lasso inside the poly tank. It is vertically oriented from top to bottom with a bonding plate at the top of the tank. Conductor bonds the Static Lasso to the metallic stand and both are grounded at the base of the poly tank.
The protection system is designed in a manner that isolated metal bodies on the tank battery and on each individual fiberglass tank are bonded to the lightning protection system. Further, A lightning rod based lightning protection system is installed directly over the tank vent piping infrastructure.
Lightning protection materials for steel tanks will comprise of air terminals as strike termination devices, lightning protection conductor to accomplish effective grounding and bonding, and effective lightning surge protection for power and control circuits installed on the steel tanks.
Petro Guardian offers a SCADA Lightning Protection System that consists of Streamer Delaying Air Terminals and Lightning Surge Protection Devices.
A Type 1 Lightning Surge Protection Device is installed at the main panel. This has a Voltage Response Circuit to filter the peak of lightning induced current in the power transmission line.
A Type 2 Lightning Surge Protection Device is installed at the branch panel. This has a Frequency Response Circuit to filter the peak of lightning induced current and EMI/RFI in the power line.
A Type 2 Lightning Surge Protection Device is installed at the VFD panel 3Phase power breaker. This has a Frequency Response Circuit to filter the peak of lightning induced current and EMI/RFI in the power line.
Type 2 Lightning Surge Protection Device is installed at the UPS/ Battery Panel input branch panel. This has a Frequency Response Circuit to filter the peak of lightning induced current and EMI/RFI in the power line.
Power Supply Lightning Protection
Current Loop Lightning Protection
MODBUS Lightning Protection
Power over Ethernet Circuit Lightning Protection
A Type 1 4-20mA 24VDC current loop Surge Protection Device is used to protect the Tank Level gauge. The copper pair has a shield wire routed with it.
Petro Guardian has developed a customized lightning protection system inspection program. It is leading the industry with a cloud based inspection database with a built in artificial intelligence to tag noncompliance.
Tanks need a catenary lightning protection system when they are vertically or individually vented. The wire will intercept a direct lightning strike so it does not enter the vapor space.
The definition of catenary is a curve formed by a wire, hanging freely from two points that are on the same horizontal level. So, in our case, a catenary lightning protection system over a tank battery, means there are two telephone poles on each side of the tank connected by a wire. Instead of a dissipation system where the terminals are vertical, think of catenary as a horizontal lightning air terminal. In line with the NFPA standards, the system is elevated and hung using calculations above the highest point on the tank battery.
