Lightning Isolation Effectiveness of PVC Conduit for bare Conductor
Lightning Isolation Effectiveness of PVC Conduit for bare Conductor
(OP)

The author of the enclosed figure said:
.Quote:
The PVC pipe in Figure 1 insulates the surface soil from the lightning surge current, thereby reducing the step potential, a personnel safety hazard...
I wonder how effective a PVC elbow could insulate and protect this installation from lightning surge or help reducing the step potential. Does this really provide significant protection or isolate anything?
Thanks for your comments.






RE: Lightning Isolation Effectiveness of PVC Conduit for bare Conductor
RE: Lightning Isolation Effectiveness of PVC Conduit for bare Conductor
RE: Lightning Isolation Effectiveness of PVC Conduit for bare Conductor
If anything, the conduit elbow will require extra bends in the down lead, increasing the impedance to the lightning surge and increasing the tower potential.
RE: Lightning Isolation Effectiveness of PVC Conduit for bare Conductor
"Doctor, was there any sign on the body of a touch potential shock?"
"Well the body is so badly burned by the lightning bolt that it is impossible to tell if there were any secondary shocks!"
If you are far enough from the tower to escape direct injury from the lightning strike, you will be far enough away from the ground rod that there will be no difference in the step potential. There is a lot of area connecting the surface soil to the subsurface soil. You won't get very far from the ground rod before the surface potential will be equal to the subsurface potential.
Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter