NL1034124C2 - Lightning protection equipped with theft alarm. - Google Patents

Description

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LIGHTNING PROTECTION EQUIPPED WITH THEFT

The invention relates to a device for protecting structures against lightning strikes, a so-called lightning protection device which is also provided with alarm equipment against theft, wherein the lightning protection device consists of a network or cage of electrical conductors on the upper side, often the roof, of structures and which network with outgoing electrical conductors is connected to earth electrodes or other metal tubes or other metal objects located in the ground.

Due to the rise in copper prices due to increasing scarcity on the world market, the number of thefts or 15 thefts of copper electrical conductors of overhead lines from, among others, railways and lightning conductors of buildings has increased. This also applies to copper pipes in the ground. For economic and security reasons, the aforementioned theft should be prevented or prevented as much as possible.

In the PCT patent with the international publication number WO 02/073762 A1 entitled: "Method and means for combining theft of underground cables" a method is described for securing underground electrical cables with anchoring or obstruction attached to the cable remotely. elements to prevent the aforementioned electricity cable from being cut out of the ground, thereby virtually preventing theft.

The aforementioned method is, however, not useful for protecting electrical cables leading into view of the roof and along the facade, because the anchors are immediately visible and can therefore be dismantled by unauthorized third parties or steers.

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The object of the present invention is to provide a lightning protection installation provided with an effective theft alarm, wherein said unauthorized third parties or strangers cannot see that it is provided with an alarm. In addition, the alarm in the event of attempted theft must be so effective that the owner or the police can be on the spot in a short time.

To this end, the device is a lightning protection according to the invention, consisting of electrical conductors, characterized in that said electrical conductors are designed as hollow electrical conductors, the hollow electrical conductors being filled with a gas under a pressure of X bar deviating from atmospheric pressure. pressure of 1 bar and wherein said hollow electrical conductors are connected to alarm equipment for detecting theft of said hollow electrical conductors.

The advantage is that the device, being a lightning protection, is obtained, from which it cannot be seen on the outside that it is protected, as a result of which a very effective protection against theft has been created.

The device according to the invention is further developed in such a way, characterized in that said pressure X varies from an underpressure below approximately 0.9 bar or an overpressure greater than 1.1 bar, in particular approximately 0.8 bar and approximately 2 bar, and that said gas is optionally preferably nitrogen gas.

The advantage is that the pressure change in a cut-through electrical line can be measured in a relatively simple manner in a performance state of said alarm equipment, after which an alarm signal can be issued immediately, both on site and remotely.

The device according to the invention is further developed in such a way, characterized in that the surface of the nominal or copper cross-section of said hollow electrical conductors is at least 50 mm 2 and is designed as a thick-walled copper tube.

The advantage is that said hollow copper electrical conductors are visibly, if at all, indistinguishable from the usual copper conductors of lightning conductors, because the hollow space has little or no influence on the increase in the external diameter. Research must furthermore show whether an increase in the external diameter is necessary.

The device according to the invention is then further developed, characterized in that said alarm equipment is built into a lockable cabinet at a suitable and burglary-proof location in said structures.

The advantage is that the alarm equipment is hardly to be found and is accessible to malicious third parties, being the strangers, which greatly enhances security.

Furthermore, the device according to the invention is further developed in such a way, characterized in that said alarm equipment consists globally of said incoming hollow pipe connected to a prestostat, provided with a manometer, furthermore a suitable electrical connection to the 230 Volt electricity network with 230/24 Volt transformer , for a power failure a 24 Volt battery, a siren and by reporting alarm to the building manager to immediately inform the police. The installation is also equipped with an overvoltage protection.

The advantage is that the system can also continue to work for hours in the event of a power failure, which additionally increases the security of the building or always makes it secure.

The device, being a lightning protection device provided with theft alarm equipment, is further explained below with reference to a preferred embodiment shown in the drawing.

Hereby shows:

FIG. 1A is a view in oblique projection of a lightning protection device, provided with theft alarm equipment according to the invention, arranged on a house;

FIG. 1B a cross section through the hollow electrical conductor; FIG. 2 same but now applied to a utility building; FIG. 3 an oblique projection view of a hollow electrical conductor according to the invention mounted on the top of a building; and FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of the alarm equipment according to the invention, in particular housed in a lockable DVS cabinet, which can be fitted at a suitable location in the building.

Figure 1A shows the lightning protection device 1 provided with theft alarm equipment 17 (see figure 4) mounted in a lockable DVS cabinet 2 (DVS = pressure change system). The hollow electrical conductors 3 are provided with so-called lightning traps 4 according to the usual techniques and if zinc gutters 5 are present, they can also be used for coupling in the system and of course the usual earth electrodes 6 with a low or low transition resistance to the earth's soil 30 A catcher 4 must also be placed on the chimney 7.

Figure 1B shows a cross-section over the hollow electrical conductor 3, the external diameter D2 being in particular approximately 9 mm and the internal diameter D1 approximately 4 mm, designed as a copper hollow electrical conductor.

In figure 2 the lightning protection 1 is arranged on a utility building 9 instead of on a house 8. The system of hollow electrical conductors 3 forms a Faraday cage, just like with the house 8, and thus protects the building 8, 9 (see also Figure 1). All chimneys or other elevations 10 and 11 must be provided with catchers 12 and 13. The copper cross-section of the 10 hollow electrical conductors 3 must be in accordance with the

Dutch regulations for lightning arresters NEN 1014 to be at least 50 mm2, so that with a hollow circular space with a diameter of approximately 2 to 4 mm the external diameter of the lightning arrestor increases by approximately 1 mm.

It must be stated, however, that the electrical lightning currents (high-frequency voltage) almost exclusively use the peripheral side of the electrical conductors (skin effect), so that tests by TNO and / or TÜV could show that the external diameter of said hollow 20 electrical conductors should not be increased compared to the usual solid electrical conductors.

Figure 3 shows a skewed projection of a hollow electrical conductor according to the invention arranged on the top of a building.

The numbering of the parts of figures 1 and 2 has been continued. It can be seen that the hollow electrical lead is fixed at usual regular distances with lead supports 14. Figure 3 also shows a connecting piece 15 between 2 hollow electrical conductors 3. The connecting piece 15 is airtightly soldered to the hollow electrical conductors 3. A connecting piece or T-piece 15 can also be provided for connecting a hollow electrical conductor 31 (see Figure 2) in the transverse direction.

Figure 4 shows the closable cabinet, a so-called DVS cabinet 2 (a pressure change system), with the alarm equipment 17, which is connected via an overvoltage protection (23) to said hollow electrical conductors 3 of the lightning protection device (1). The alarm equipment 17 consists or comprises the tapped incoming hollow electrical conductor 3 to which a pressure gauge 18 is connected. Furthermore, the said hollow electrical conductor 3 is connected via a side sprayer 19 to a tap 20 with gas filling or gas withdrawal nipple or "schrader" 21 and "last but not least" the prestostat 22. Furthermore, the prestostat 22 is electrically connected to a siren 29 for emitting a sound signal when the pressure X is changed in said electrical hollow conductors 3. The electrical connection of the prestostat 22 takes place on the mains of the building, in which transformer 24, fuses 25, reset and test buttons 28 29 are required. In order to keep the alarm equipment 17 in operation in the event of a failure in the electricity grid, a battery with switching equipment (not shown) is also provided to take over the required voltage for the alarm equipment 17.

Furthermore, it will be clear that a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown above and that further modifications and the like are of course possible without departing from the scope of this patent.

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Claims (9)

Device for protecting structures against lightning strike, a so-called lightning protection device 5 (1) which is also provided with alarm equipment (17) against theft, the lightning protection device (1) consisting of a network or cage of electrical conductors (3) on the often the roof, of structures (8, 9) at the top and which network with outgoing electrical conductors (3) is connected to earth electrodes (6) or other metal tubes or other metal objects located in the ground (30), characterized that said electrical conductors are designed as hollow electrical conductors (3), wherein the hollow electrical conductors (3) are filled with a gas or air under a pressure of X bar, which is different from the atmospheric pressure of 1 bar and wherein said hollow electrical conductors (3) are connected to alarm equipment (17) for detecting theft of said hollow electrical conductors (3). Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said pressure X varies from an underpressure below approximately 0.9 bar or an overpressure greater than 1.1 bar, in particular approximately 0.8 bar and approximately 2 bar, and that said gas is optionally preferably nitrogen gas. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the material of said hollow electrical conductors (3) is in particular copper. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the material of said hollow electrical conductors (3) is in particular aluminum. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the surface of the nominal or copper cross-section of said hollow electrical conductors (3) is at least 50 mm and is designed as a thick-walled copper tube. Device according to claims 1-3 and 5, characterized in that the usual connecting pieces (15) in the copper hollow electrical conductors (3) with a hard solder seam or compression fitting are made airtight. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said alarm equipment (17) is built into a lockable cabinet (2) at a suitable and burglar-proof location in said structures (8, 9). Device as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that said alarm equipment (17) consists globally of said incoming hollow pipe (3) connected to a prestostat (22) provided with pressure gauge (18), a tap 15 (20) with gas filling - gas withdrawal nipple or "schrader" (21), furthermore an electrical connection to the mains with overvoltage protection (23), transformer (24) 230/24 Volt, fuses (25), inverter (26), connection block with reset / test (27) ), further test and reset buttons (28, 29), siren (30), 20 24-volt battery (not shown) and further a report for alarm to the building manager. 9. Device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the surface of the nominal or aluminum cross-section of said hollow electrical conductors (3) is designed as a thick-walled aluminum tube with a cross-section of the aluminum material, which is proportional in conductivity with the hollow copper electrical conductors (3). 30 1034124