Can the electrode survive a 100% lightning current?
A. No lightning conductor can withstand 100% of all lightning strikes. The main problem is overheating from long continuing currents, that occur in about half of all lightnings and are responsible for fire ignition. Physically, there is about a 10V voltage across the electrode-discharge interface. Hence for a charge of say 10 C, the electrode tip is subject to 100 J of heating. However, once the tip starts melting, no further temperature increase is possible since the metal vapor disperses. Without going into further proprietary details, we pay careful attention to these factors in the design of our electrodes. As a starting point, we adopted an engineering approach and designed each electrode to the same specification as that advocated by NFPA 780 for an air terminal for a Class II lightning– a 1/2″ diameter solid copper rod with a shaped tip. Tin electroplating is added for superior corrosion resistance and compatibility with connectors inside the boat.
