SOUTH Africa is renowned for its magnificent golf courses and outdoor sports facilities, as well as its disruptive summer lightning and thunderstorms. The threats and dangers associated with these summer storms at outdoor sports grounds need no introduction; often, severe injuries and even loss of life have occurred as a result of lightning strikes during these storms.
Biral (UK), now part of the Seneca Group, specialists in environmental and meteorological measurement instrumentation, has launched its BTD-200 lightning warning system, which is a complete detection and warning system.
Senseca South Africa managing director Jan Grobler says that the BTD-200 delivers where many other systems fail due to its professional aviation-grade lightning technology. “This proven BRD-200 system is compact, easy to install and does not rely on secondary measurements in order to activate the warning system. Its highly specialised technology delivers the warning as soon as lightning is detected.”
The BTD-200 offers proven detection technology that reliably detects the presence of all forms of lightning to a range of 35 km from the sensor. The sensor, which is quick and easy to install, comes complete with a universal mains voltage power supply and the essential PC server application ‘Lightning Works’ for monitoring, warning and data logging of approaching thunderstorms.
“For lightning detection requirements of over 35 km, Biral also supplies the BTD-300 Series, which can reliably detect and range cloud-to-cloud lightning over a detection range of 83 km exceeding the US FAA requirements. The BTD-300 has an electrostatic operating principle allowing the sensor to warn of the risk of overhead lightning before the first discharge occurs. Cloud-to-cloud strikes are typically much more common than cloud-to-ground strikes “said Grobler.
When lightning discharge occurs, there is a significant transfer of electric charge, which causes a disturbance in the atmospheric electric field that is detectable at a distance of over 100 km. This low-frequency disturbance is detected by the BTD-200 antenna and the signal is processed to both detect and range these discharges. Most importantly, the BTD-200 is able to issue a warning of potential overhead lightning before the first strike. This is not possible using radio-based detection systems.
The BTD-200 features
Fully automatic alarm triggering
Warns of the most dangerous (overhead) lightning risk before the first lightning strike
Advanced, automatic self-test to ensure system operation
Accurate 35 km detection range
Performs in accordance with IEC62793 for a Class A detector
Compliance with EN50536:2011+/A1:2012 for a Class 1 detector
Detects cloud-to-ground, intra-cloud and cloud-to-cloud lightning
Detects charged precipitation and strong atmospheric electric fields
Is supplied with Lightning Works server software
“The BTD-200 will not only vastly improve safety at sporting facilities, but has been designed for most outdoor activities as well as for industrial and professional meteorological applications. The system filters out higher-frequency electromagnetic radio waves, which are often the cause of sensor confusion and false alarms on standard systems. The BTD-200 instrumentation has practically a zero false alarm rate” concluded Grobler.
