Patent ID: 8649148
Filing Date: 2014-02-11
Classification: H01T,H02G

Abstract:
1. A method, comprising: at or about a site, sensing one or more of a lightning step leader descending from and/or an upward earth streamer ascending toward an atmospheric charge accumulation; providing a risk assessment of a lightning strike at or about the site based on results of the sensing; providing a prioritization of protection from a lightning strike for a portion of the site; and reconfiguring an arrangement of one or more lightning protection elements disposed at or about the site in response to the risk assessment of a lightning strike, wherein reconfiguring the arrangement of one or more lightning protection elements disposed at or about the site is further performed in response to the prioritization of protection; wherein the arrangement of lightning protection elements comprises a plurality of lightning arrestors; wherein a first of the lightning arrestors and a second of the lightning arrestors are spaced less than a critical distance apart so that zones of protection of the first and second lightning arrestors overlap; wherein providing a prioritization of protection from a lightning strike for a portion of the site comprises providing a spatial variation in a voltage biasing of the lightning arrestors; and wherein reconfiguring the arrangement of lightning protection elements comprises biasing at least one of the lightning arrestors to a different voltage than the other lightning arrestors to provide the spatial variation in the voltage biasing of the lightning arrestors.