IONIFLASH APPROVAL 

TEST REPORTS ON THE IONIFLASH AIR TERMINAL.

Example of a shock created in the EDF Very High Voltage Laboratory at "Les Renardières".

Since July 1995, the results of the early streamer emission air terminals 
(E. S. E.) have been determined according to laboratory obtained results, using the evaluation procedure of the NF C 17-102 standard.

France Paratonnerres chose the Electrical Discharge Laboratory in the University of Pau (France) to characterise the performances of the IONIFLASH according to this procedure.

PROCEDURE FOR STANDARDISED TESTS :

The evaluation of the average value of dT (DT) must be carried out on series of 100 shocks, respectively on 2 configurations corresponding to the early streamer emission air terminal (E. S. E.) and the simple air terminal. The natural field conditions are simulated in the laboratory by the superposition of a permanent electrical field and of an impulse field associated with an electrode in the form of a plate situated at distance H from the ground.

The permanent field conditions resulting from the distribution of the charges into the cloud are established by a continuous negative polarity voltage applied to the plate electrode, producing a field of 10 to 20 kV/m.

The impulse field resulting from the approach of the downward tracer is simulated by a bi-exponential negative polarity voltage wave applied to the plate. The rise time is defined at 30% - 90% is 650 microseconds and the slope of the wave during the development phase of the discharge is situated at around 10 GV/m/s.

The tests carried out according to the procedure described in the NF C 17-102 standard of 1995 concerning the determination of the early streamer emission time of this air terminal have thus produced the following significant results :

DIAGRAM OF THE TEST ASSEMBLY