Projects

South East Asia has frequent, intense thunderstorms and equipment damage is prevalent in many locations, especially isolated and prominent ones like islands, which typically have very poor soil and hence high resistivity. LPI was called to solve lightning problems on such an island that houses a luxury resort. This involved a site visit, analysis and calculations upon to return to the office, and detailed formulation of innovative solutions to overcome the unique features of the island that revolved around surge and transient protection and earthing issues.

As world leaders in all aspects of lightning protection, LPI / PhysElec was engaged to carry out lightning protection audits of 26 LNG transportation, distribution and processing sites in Vietnam over a period of 4 years. These audits involved detailed inspections, testing and measurements across the three keys areas of direct-strike lightning protection, surge and transient protection, and earthing & bonding.

Our extensive experience with lightning problems was utilised by Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology for improving lightning mitigation at radar sites that had experienced recurring equipment damage from thunderstorms. Our consultants conducted detailed investigations at both locations, performing soil resistivity tests, earth grid continuity and resistance tests, surge and transient protection inspections, and direct-strike assessments. The Bureau was provided with comprehensive recommendations and proposed actions to mitigate the ongoing issues.

PhysElec Solutions was engaged to provide earthing and lightning protection for an advanced bird radar detection system installed at Musselroe Wind Farm in Tasmania’s far north-east. Soil resistivity and earthing design was carried out, along with a freestanding lightning protection design employing a corona minimising air terminal and insulated downconductor system. Following the installation of earthing and lightning protection, current injection testing was carried out to verify system performance.

PhysElec Solutions provided consultancy services for a major new hospital in Melbourne. This $1.5 billion project is due for completion in 2025. Our consultants conducted thorough desktop work, including earthing and lightning protection design, and on-site work, including soil resistivity tests and current injection testing. The post-installation current injection testing confirmed system performance regarding impedance and earth potential rise, and step, touch and transfer voltages across the site.

The Department of Defence commissioned us to conduct a lightning protection survey of the communications infrastructure and existing lightning protection systems at four different locations across Australia. Our consultants and channel partners conducted thorough surveys and performed gap analyses. Based on the assessment, we designed lightning protection systems adhering to relevant standards. The tailored solutions provided to the Client, involving direct-strike and surge protection along with earthing and bonding in some cases, were implemented by our channel partners to the standards required by the Client.

A new industrial development is planned in northern Tasmania, involving new buildings for multiple industrial manufacturers. Our consultants conducted thorough on-site investigations and soil resistivity tests to gather necessary data for the earthing design. Using CDEGS software, they tailored an earthing design to meet project requirements. After installation, current injection testing will verify system impedance, earth potential rise etc. and assess step, touch and transfer voltages across the site.

Much work is going on in Queensland’s rail sector and we have been involved in carrying out commissioning tests of some switchyard earth grids as well as lightning protection assessments. The current injection testing carried out was very difficult due to the built-up nature of the surrounding areas, the interference and contamination effects of which had to be estimated and removed with CDEGS software modelling.

UNHCR Displaced Persons Camp in Bangladesh is protected with LPI’s Guardian air terminals.

Large, grid-connected solar farm in India is protected with an array of Stormaster terminals.

The Muscat Convention Centre in Oman is protected with LPI’s Guardian air terminal

Randwick Racecourse in Victoria, Australia has LPI’s “lightning warning system” (LWS) providing real-time warning of dangerous thunderstorm conditions.

The Police coast guard vessels, Singapore are protected with LPI’s Stormaster air terminals.

ELEME Petrochemical Plant in Nigeria, Africa is protected with LPI’s direct-strike air terminals.

The Central Plaza building in Hong Kong is 374 m tall, this building is protected with LPI's Guardian air terminal.

Sky Tower in Auckland is New Zealand’s tallest building (328 m), this building is protected with LPI’s Guardian air terminal.

The Brief
Name of construction: Direct strike & Power line protection system for data center system of YANLAND Building in Ho Chi Minh city
Name of investor: YANLAND Co., Ltd at District 7, Ho Chi Minh City
Products have supplied for this project: Stormaster-ESE & HVSCPLUS, accessories for direct strike protection system and SF31000-480-110+50-AIMCB for power line protection system.
The year of project start & completion: 2018 / 2020

The Outcome

In addition to the standard requirement to use a dedicated HVSC Plus 8-layer noise escape cable and LPI/Australia ESE lightning rod to protect lightning protection directly for the Data center system according to ANSI / TIA-942, the quality of ac power input for the system is equally important, the system must use a surge protection device with 2 functions that both Cut and Filter the lightning pulse of LPI / Australia up to the load current 1000A, the device will protect 2 layers of lightning cutting and 1 layer of lightning filter, this lightning filter is connected to the load.

LPI/Australia's lightning filter will protect the lightning spread on the input power supply and ensure the power waveform quality for the load after the lightning pulse cutting and filtering function is completed.

At the Data Center of The Yanland Office Building, Hoang Kim Co., Ltd consulted, designed and provided comprehensive lightning protection system from Direct surge protection to spread and AC power input of data center system which has been protected by 3 phase 1000A dedicated 3 phase surge protector Model: SF31000-480-110+50-AIMCB of LPI/Australia provided by our company.

This project is a water tank installation in Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia.  A STORMASTER-ESE-60-SS lightning protection system was installed using the cantilevered method.  A number of different bonding techniques were used, shown in the photos.

Lightning Protection Installation for the Water Tank Re-Roofing Project in Casuarina, Northern Territory, Australia

The Brief

Aluminium corrugated is used for this tank roof instead of gal or colour-bond sheeting. A new aluminium roof structure was installed on top of the existing steel roof support beams with appropriate isolation between dissimilar metals with new corrugated aluminium sheeting for the roof. The reasoning is a longer roof life compared to the original steel which rusts out from the chlorine gas introduced into the water supply.

The Outcome

A STORMASTER-ESE-30-SS lightning protection system was supplied and installed.  To facilitate equipotential bonding we maintained the original tank LP earthing.

LPI was asked to assist with lightning protection for a new bird radar system, the first of its kind in Australia, with the initial trial to be conducted at Musselroe Wind Farm (MWF) in the remote north-east corner of Tasmania. MWF has 56 wind turbines and produces 168 MW of green electricity.

The Brief

The Robin radar technology will help detect and monitor birds that fly near the wind farm, providing the opportunity to adjust the operation of or shut down wind turbines to ensure collisions can be avoided. In particular, MWF aims to prevent harm to wedge-tailed eagle populations.

LPI’s role in this project was to design the lightning protection system, comprising direct-strike protection of the sensitive radar system, effective earthing and bonding, and protection of the electronic equipment from electrical surges.

Protecting a moving part (the radar head), designing earthing on top of a sandy hill (poor soil) and wind loadings issues were some of the challenges faced in this novel project.

The Outcome

LPI carried out soil resistivity testing and modelling, earthing and direct-strike design, and current injection testing after installation.  LPI’s flagship products were used, including:

Guardian Plus corona-minimising air terminal with HVSC Plus insulated (500 kV) lightning downconductor cable;
Innovative mast assembly designed for high-wind regions without the need for guying;
Earth enhancing compound (RESLO) to achieve earth resistance targets in bad soil;
Surge reduction filter on power lines, using Bluetooth technology for status monitoring of surges and operating conditions.

Installation of the lightning protection system was completed in August 2020 and the earth resistance achieved was 3.4 ohms. The radar is currently being calibrated and customised for shutdown procedures.

PT CHAROEN POKPHAND INDONESIA Tbk is a company that produce and operate in feed mill, nursery and cultivation of broiler chicken and its processing, industry of food processing, preservation of chicken and beef, including cold storage units. The company conducts storage and distribution business.

The Brief

2004 – 2018 : Install Lightning Protection system for Hatchery & Farms in Sumatera, Java, Bali, Kalimantan, Sulawesi & Irian Jaya Sites.

The Outcome

Very satisfied because LPI products installed, are working very well and can reduce damages caused by lightning.

The operator's coverage includes Java, Bali, and Lombok, Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi. XL offers data communication, broadband Internet, mobile communication networks. With more than 17 years of experience operating in the Indonesian market, PT XL Axiata Tbk. (XL) is one of the leading mobile service providers in Indonesia. Currently, XL is considered one of the leading providers of cellular services for Data and Telephony in Indonesia.

The Brief

2014 – 2015 : IMPROVE GROUNDING JABO SITES
2017 : IMPROVE GROUNDING EAST & CENTRAL SITES

The Outcome

Very satisfied because LPI products installed, are working very well and can reduce damages caused by lightning.

In two key projects, one of RioTinto’s mines was audited for all aspects of lightning protection and earthing.

The Brief

LPI was engaged to develop a solution to minimise the risk of methane ignition in the underground coal operations as a result of the installation of gas drainage wells across part of the mine site.

The Outcome

The audit was completed successfully, resulting in improvements to the existing protection scheme and a novel way of protecting gas drainage wells and avoiding underground sparking was developed. The latter method has been presented at mine safety and earthing conferences around Australia.

Hay Point is one of the largest coal export ports in the world. Thunderstorms frequently pass through the area during the lightning season in Queensland.

The Brief

These storms pose a threat to the safety of line handling personnel in situations where the work cannot be postponed, e.g., because a fully laden vessel would undergo structural damage.

The Outcome

A lightning study was undertaken to quantify the risk to personnel and ways to mitigate the risks. Practical recommendations flowed from the study, including procedural, PPE and lightning shelter actions.

Darwin has one of the highest lightning activities in Australia, LPI was engaged to deal with all aspects of lightning risk and mitigation.

The Brief

Consulting work covered three key aspects, namely: (i) Lightning protection design for the whole LNG plant, (ii) Lightning risk studies for dealing with the movement of thousands of site personnel each day during construction and during the operational phase of the plant, and (iii) Verification and validation of the final lightning protection installations.

The Outcome

The work delivered all of the outcomes above and the site is now fully protected and approaching the operational phase.  Study (ii) also helped to ensure the best balance between worker safety and efficiency was maintained, preventing unnecessary labour costs and delays to construction work.

LPI were contacted to help protect these service vessels in dock and whilst travelling. In the past, due to direct lightning strikes, the radio communication equipment had been badly burnt by surges. This resulted in significant investment loss to the company.

The Brief

A lightning protection solution was needed to prevent the vessels from being struck directly by lightning, and yet it needed to provide them with a specific lightning discharge path where they can discharge the lightning current safely to the hull of the vessel.

By doing so, it is preventing the surge current from inducing the power and signal lines, especially those antennas that are installed at the top of the vessels.

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