Mission to India

From August 1 to 11, 2-day workshops were held in different Indian cities:

2^nd and 3^rd August – Mumbai

4^th and 5^th August – Chennai

8^th and 9^th August – Bangalore

10^th and 11^th August – Delhi

This 2-day workshop organised by S.Gopa Kumar of CAPE Electric and K.V.Varadharajan of LPCI (LP Consultants International www.lpci.in ), was designed to cover the important design and installation techniques which will be highly beneficial to engineers working in Industrial, Aviation, Military, Insurance, Power, Communication sectors, Hydrology & meteorology and who provide electronic, IT equipment and services and other institution or individuals interested in the above subject. 2 Days Training Programe on Lightning Protection Invitation Letter

Presentations were made by Professor Chandima Gomes from Malaysia and Alain Rousseau from SEFTIM.

Mr. Chandima Gomes is a professor of electrical engineering and researcher in high voltage engineering and lightning protection at University Putra Malaysia. He is also an expert in power and energy, electromagnetic interference and compatibility and occupational safety management.

The following main themes were discussed:

• Lightning initiation, attachment and return stroke, characteristic and statistics, multiplicity, types of lightning, induced voltages, lightning measurements, triggered lightning, laboratory simulations, current models.
• Risk analysis, Introduction to standards & recommendations, calculation of lightning risk factors and recommendation of the level of protection.
• Designing and positioning of air-termination and down conductor systems, materials and dimensions. Designing of earth network, Equipotential bonding, Use of reinforcement steel and foundation earth for lightning protection, installation technologies, isolated protection systems, special issues of earthing, Site inspection and maintenance. Designing of LPS for different type of structures
• Protection of Low Voltage Electrical Systems: Need for protection, Lightning Protection Zonal concept, coupling mechanisms, Lightning and switching impulses, protection scenario, wiring systems for buildings, mode of protection, peak current handing capacity, let-through voltage, follow current, classes of surge protectors, SPD selection criteria, testing procedures.
• Earthing: IEC and IEEE standards. LV networks, system earthing, equipment earthing. Separate systems connected in a single low impedance earthing system. Low resistance connection to an earthing system.
• Selected Cases: Protection of Oil refineries, Explosive storage, Wind turbines, thermal power plants
• Human safety and safety guidelines: Statistics of lightning accidents, direct strikes and side flashes, step potential, touch potential, international guidelines, health hazards, recommendations for outdoor workers, safety devices.

Each of the workshops brought together 40 to 50 people with many questions.