• Currents in the ground:

This occurs when lightning strikes the ground near a victim and the current travels from the impact site to the victim through the ground.

What damage can occur in an installation without a lightning rod?

If the structure does not have a lightning rod, the lightning will normally hit the highest point of the structure and seek its way to earth in an uncontrolled way, through antennas, a concrete structure, pipes or cables. This passage of the current can cause breakage, sparks (which could lead to fire) and damage to people and equipment inside.

The risks that the facilities may suffer directly or indirectly will be:

Partial destruction of electronic equipment due to electric arc between metallic masses, partial or total destruction of electronic equipment due to high voltage supply, partial or total destruction of electronic equipment due to variable magnetic fields, partial or total destruction of electrical equipment and
electronics by high frequency radiation.

External protection system against atmospheric electrical discharges; Lightning rod system:

The set of elements to intercept (air terminals), conduct (down conductors) and dissipate (grounding network) efficiently the lightning current.

TERRAGAUSS ELECTROMAGNETIC LIGHTNING ROD SYSTEM

The Terragauss electromagnetic lightning rod system is designed to prevent by 95% the probability of lightning strikes in a diameter of 160 meters, because it generates an electro-negative field that, due to the principle of repulsion of equal charges, prevents lightning from striking. within its protection area, for the remaining %5 it offers a safe dissipation path to ground, by offering a permanent resistance of less than 2 Ohms.

The Terragauss electromagnetic system is patented before the IMPI (Mexican Institute of Industrial Property).

It is constituted by:

Electromagnetic electrode and LCR device.

Hygroscopic electroconditioning compound for floors

Mass and impedance coupler.

Cathodic protection tip.

Features of the Terragauss lightning rod system

1.- Avoids the incidence of lightning by 95%, in a protection area of 160 meters in diameter at protection level 1. For the remaining 5% it offers a safe dissipation path to ground.

2.- Lower equipment and installation costs.

3.- Protection from all atmpspheric charges no matter the amount or intensity in the warranty time.

4.- Works even in partialy vandalized places.

5.- Guarantees a minor 2 Ohms permanent resistance.

6.- Doesn't require any kind of maintenance.

7.- The systems Terragauss electromagnetic grounding system have a performance performance .

Terragauss Grounding Systems comply with national and international standards for the ohmic resistance value, measured with the Fall of Potential Method or 62%.

Resistance values ​​requested by the Mexican Standards.

• Official Mexican Standard NOM-022-STPS-2015, Static electricity in the workplace – Safety Conditions.

Verify that the values ​​of resistance to earth, from the network to the earth connection obtained in this test, are less than or equal to 10 ohms for the electrode(s) of the lightning rod system.

• NMX-J-549-ANCE-2005, Protection system against electrical storms.

A lightning rod system must have a resistance of 10 ohms or less.

• NFPA (Asociación Nacional de Protección contra el Fuego) (EEUU) (2018)

The resistance value of a lightning rod system must be less than or equal to 10 ohms.

Advantages of the Terragauss lightning rod systems compared to the traditional ones, dipole, franklin, etc

FEATURES	CONVENTIONAL AND/OR FARADAY CAGE	TERRAGAUSS
Avoid atmospheric discharges	No, for not creating a cathode field.	Yes, it prevents the probability of lightning strikes by 95% in a protection level 1, in the negative electric field generated it repels the negatively charged clouds, since they have the same sign.
Guarantees permanent resistance less than 2 Ohms	Doesn't, because the soils corrode due to the salts in the soil and the chemicals used, which reduces the amount of copper in the rods and consequently increases the ohmic resistance.	Yes, because when coupling the metal structures, a resistance of less than 2 Ohms is guaranteed and it is permanent because the negative electric field generated considerably retards the effect of the galvanic couple and therefore corrosion.
Radius of protection	Maximum 90 meters in diameter (depends on height)	160 meters in minimum diameter (regardless of height)
Requires interconnection	Yes, because all the points placed on the roof have to be joined and the electrodes of all the points must be interconnected.	No, since it is not necessary to interconnect, as 1 point is required, 1 single electrode in an area of ​​160 meters in diameter
Events supported by a pararryos	An event	All events that occur during the warranty period
Reduces installation times	No, because it requires multiple lightning rod points, interconnection, with 2/0 copper cable, lowering of the points to the rods with 2/0 cable, rods, welding, etc., as well as the installation labor of the material and several holes for the rods.	Yes, when using a single tip, with a single descent to the electrode.
Operation in partially vandalized sites	No, since they only offer a single point of contact between the lightning rod and the physical earth, so when the cable is stolen, the system is disconnected from the system to earth, leaving the site at risk.	Yes, it offers a multi-grounded system that allows currents to be drained even in vandalized sites.
Reduce installation costs	No, because multiple lightning rod points are required, interconnection with 2/0 copper cable, drops from the points to the rods with 2/0 cable, rods, welding, etc. As well as the labor for installing the material and several pits for the rods.	Yes, when using a single point, with a single drop to the electrode in an area of ​​160 meters in diameter.
Reduce vandalism	No, because they use more rods and cables, which are made of copper.	Yes, by using only 1 electrode and by using our galvanized steel cable solution, to connect the end to the grounding system, which is less attractive to be stolen than copper cable. Even without the cable that connects the coupler to the electrode, the system continues to drain the atmospheric discharges, until the cable is replaced.
Maintenance required	Yes, because they degrade due to oxidation, and require chemicals to be added to lower their resistance, but chemicals corrode rods that are made of steel with a hundredth of an inch of copper.	No, because they are made of copper, and by generating a cathodic field, the system slows down the corrosion effect by creating a permanent negative electric field.
10 years	No, no conventional land system offers guarantees.	Yes, it offers a 10-year written performance guarantee.