w_tom wrote:
10,000 amp for what time? Some assume a 12 AWG wire (2mm)
used for 20 amp service will vaporize under higher currents.
First that same wire will carry 200 amps continuous without
vaporizing. Second, did you notice the word 'continuos'. Now
lets limit that current to 40 microseconds. That wire can
easily carry 10,000 amps for a short time span. Easily?
Well, complications are created when the wire has sharp bends,
loops, routed inside metallic conduit, etc.

I can appreciate your apprehension. To you, much of this is
new. But the technology is old, standard, and well proven for
decades. Earthing wires required for AC electric must be so
large that the DC component in lightning is irrelevant.
Complications are created when that wire is not properly
installed so that wire impedance is increased.

What makes lightning protection even more challenging is
that humans don't learn of their mistakes until after the
first lightning strike. Humans made a mistake that only humans
can correct.

Your patronizing attitude is starting to get annoying.

Your argument can be extended to the "AC" component on which you
focus -- if it's all over in 40 microseconds, what's the big deal?

:-)

CJT wrote:
Think about what you just wrote. If you size the ground wire to
a lightning rod only on the basis of high frequency components,
and don't account for the essentially DC component (which can
exceed 10,000 amps, according to the Web site you cited earlier),
you won't have much protection.


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