• In recent years it has been shown that the grounded object plays an important role in the lightning attachment process, it launches an upward connecting leader that rise up to meet the descending lightning leader and this represents a significant portion of the object’s lightning attractive distance or the measure of it’s vulnerability to a lightning strike.
• It has been shown by numerous scientific sources that objects that produce increased electric discharge activity during the slow build up of charges in the clouds, that precedes a lightning strike, are less prone to launching upward connecting leaders during the descent of a lightning leader, thereby reducing the lightning attractive distance.
  • This is why tall structures are sometimes struck well below the top; limited discharge activity from the top makes the top less prone to the production of upward leaders as compared to a lower part of the structure.
  • This is why under certain circumstances, lightning rods will have a tendency to fail to intercept a strike, limited discharge activity from the lightning rod tip shields the rod and the nearby object to be protected is struck.
  • This is why blunt lightning rods perform a little better than sharp lightning rods, they are slightly less prone to discharge activity
  • This is why in some cases shielding failures on power lines do not conform to expected lightning performance, the effects of limited corona discharges from the overhead ground wires were not taken into consideration
  • This explains some of the unique characteristics of rocket-triggered lightning, like the measured field required for upward leader initiation as affected by corona discharges from the wire ascending behind the rocket.
  • This explains why rotating wind turbine blades are struck more frequently then those that are stationary. The ones that are stationary are immersed in their own produced space charge whereas the rotating ones move away from the produced charges.

The F-SAT is a revolutionary, high performance lightning rod that is specifically designed to resist the production of electric discharges during the slowly varying electric fields that precede a lightning strike. This makes it highly prone to the production of upward leaders during the descent of the lightning leader. This maximizes the range and stability of the zone of protection.

The F-SAT’s size is selected for the dimensions of the structure to be protected.

F-SATs meet or exceed all requirements stipulated by NFPA 780, UL96 and IEC 62305.

Laboratory Validation of Streamer Inhibiting Electrode, HVDC Fields

Introducing the world’s best lightning rod, the scientifically based Field Sensitive Air Terminal or FSAT

Lightning Protection for Fibreglass Tanks

A demonstration of the mechanism which is a principal cause of lightning protection system failures

Lightning Protection for Fiberglass Tanks (Saltwater Disposal Sites)

Serious Technical Problems with Lightning Protection Standard, NFPA 780, Part 1, Nonconducting Tanks

Analysis of Lake Charles Lightning Related Tank Fire Video June, 2023

The Embedded Ground Conductor