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Company profile
Products blend science with technology
Marine Lightning Protection Inc. (MLP ) specializes in lightning grounding in the
marine environment. Improving on
existing standards such as ABYC TE4, ISO 10134
and NFPA 780 Ch. 8 (before the 2008 edition), we
emphasize the grounding system since this is the foundation for any boat
lightning protection system.
However, we also offer other components such as air terminals,
connectors and main conductors, so that all system parts can be purchased
from us. In the not-too-distant
past, standards were of limited value since they advocated a single one
square foot ground strip or plate and a centrally located down
conductor. This concept was
incompatible with the science that was established more than a decade
ago. Specifically, in a paper
published in a peer reviewed IEEE journal in 1991, Dr. Ewen
Thomson of the University of Florida concluded that "1
ft2 is shown to be hopelessly inadequate to prevent sideflashes in fresh water". As Thomson points out, the key to reducing sideflash likelihood is to distribute the lightning
current into the water from multiple sources. Since using multiple immersed ground
plates is impractical, and the optimum location for exit terminals is close
to the waterline, MLP
has developed the new patented SiedarcTM
electrodes that can be faired into the hull to reduce drag and require only
a single hull penetration. Further,
they are preferably installed above the waterline, thereby eliminating
galvanic corrosion.
The typical lightning protection system
is built as follows. Starting with
multiple grounding electrodes distributed around the hull's perimeter, we
then connect a network of down conductors that form a protective rib cage
around the sensitive interior of the boat.
Bonding conductors are also attached to this to equalize potentials
throughout the boat. A key component
is a loop conductor at about deck level that both forms an electrostatic
shield and is used for bonding connections.
Note that shielding by means of external conductors is an effective
way to equalize potentials and is the only method that can be used for
conductors such as water tanks and crew members that cannot be bonded with
connecting wires. In this way we
equalize potentials inside the boat to reduce sideflash
likelihood. At the top of the lightning
protection system are the air terminals, the desired attachment points for
the lightning channel. On a
powerboat, existing conducting fittings such as handrails, outriggers,
T-tops, biminis, and metallic superstructures form
an integral part of this system.
Since we already have a network of down conductors that are
predominantly near the outside of the hull, the natural location for air
terminals is also around the perimeter.
The net result is a boat lightning protection system that closely
resembles that on a building – air terminals around the roof
perimeter, multiple down conductors on the outside, and multiple ground
rods outside the footings These
concepts have now been incorporated in the latest standard
(NFPA780-2008) published by the National Fire Protection Association.
In addition to a whole range of
lightning protection products, we also offer consulting services
regarding any scientific or technical aspect of lightning in the marine
environment, including lightning protection systems, lightning damage,
insurance disputes and litigation.
Design guidance in accordance with the new NFPA780 standard are also provided at reasonable rates.
Academics
meets wind and water
While a sailor and lighting researcher for many years before, MLP
founder and native New Zealander Dr. Ewen
Thomson did not find the need to combine work and pleasure until
1986 when he took up residence in Florida, the lightning capital of the
United States, and purchased a trailerable
sailboat. "Of course it comes with lightning protection?"
he inquired of the manufacturer when the deal was nearly made. The
answer almost, but not quite, ended this relationship on the spot -
"No, lightning protection just increases the chance of being struck
and increases my liability. It is better to do nothing than attempt a
fix that might not work." The
manufacturer was Ken Fickett, CEO of Mirage Manufacturing. who now
builds a line of passagemakers (Navigator and Great Harbor series) and has
continued collaborating closely with MLP. In fact, the first MLP
system was installed in a Great Harbor 47.
Needless to say, Ken is now a firm believer in lightning protection
systems for his passagemakers.
When faced with personally sailing a 19 foot boat in capricious Florida
weather, Ewen was highly motivated to install the
best system that technology would allow. So he looked up the existing
codes published by ABYC (American Boating and
Yachting Council) and NFPA (National Fire
Protection Association), talked to some colleagues at the University of
Florida, reviewed the scientific literature, did a few calculations, and
requested damage reports from sailors who had had the misfortune of being
inadvertent data gatherers. The results were surprising and worthy of
publication in a
professional journal. ABYC subsequently
changed its standard to reflect some of these new findings and downgraded
it to a Technical Report Further work was funded by Florida Sea Grant
to answer the key question of whether lightning protection does indeed
increase the probability of a strike (the answer is NO), and to
generate some materials that would be useful for the layman.
Consequently in 1992 he wrote a Sea Grant pamphlet and
co-produced a 23 minute video to
communicate the science of lightning protection to the general public.
While the science of 1992 was good enough to reveal some holes in the
lightning protection standards, it did not explain everything. During
a sabbatical in 2000-2001, Ewen revisited some of
the more perplexing observations that could not be explained a decade
before. After this decade of reflection, he finally realized that the
scientific theories he, and others, had used previously were
incomplete. A more complete theory could indeed explain the more
puzzling data. This theory also made possible a new approach to grounding
that has spun off several innovative devices that are patented in the
United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Europe (pending). And, in a major departure from the
ineffective status quo, NFPA has just finished a
substantial revision of NFPA 780 Ch. 8 (the
watercraft chapter) that now addresses the earlier concerns.
Marine Lightning Protection Inc. was
founded in May 2001 as a commercial vehicle for supporting the design,
fabrication and installation of grounding components and
systems using this new technology. Founder Ewen
Thomson is MLP's
president and resident consultant. Since
lightning protection frequently requires consideration on a case-by-case
basis, MLP hence offers the expertise and experience
needed to provide grounding products and system design for all customized
applications.
Collaboration with manufacturers
Our
better understanding of the underlying science is now augmented by the NFPA standard that translates this science into
engineering specifications. The
arguments for installing a comprehensive lightning protection system have
never been more compelling. Nor have
they ever been more easy to understand –
simply design the system using the same ideas as are used on buildings. With the dramatic shift in the marine
industry to microprocessor-controlled equipment, including power and
steering controls, and the ever-present liability concerns, an
effective lightning protection system should be regarded as a practical and
necessary insurance policy, both for the customer and the builder. With international patents protecting our
intellectual property and customers in the United States, New Zealand,
Australia, Canada, England, Costa Rica, and South Africa, MLP is committed to a pivotal position in
the global marketplace. We are
particularly interested in working with yacht manufacturers in any country
to develop designs and best practices for installing systems at the most
cost-effective and convenient time – during manufacture.
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