ABB ESE LIGHTNING PROTECTION SYSTEM

ABB’s ESE lightning protection products are manufactured at their facility in Bagneres-de-Bigorre, France, where external lightning protection technology has been developed since 1932 and where the first ESE air terminal was invented in 1984 through patents developed jointly with the French National Scientific Research Centre (CNRS). Each ABB OPR and HELITA Pulsar air terminal undergoes electronic insulation and functionality tests during manufacture, with efficiency confirmed by more than 40,000 sparks generated since 1996 in high-voltage laboratories and validated by independent third-party certification. A 10-year warranty extension is available through online product registration.

Safe
The ESE air terminals generate an early upward leader during storm conditions to intercept the downward leader from the cloud before it can attach to a less protected point on or near the structure, channeling the lightning strike safely through down conductors to the earth termination system and reducing direct strike risks to buildings, equipment and personnel.

Wide protection radius
Protection radius reaches up to 107 m depending on the Delta T efficiency value, protection level and installation height, calculated according to NF C 17-102. This allows a single terminal to protect large industrial footprints, warehouse rooftops and open-air sites that would otherwise need multiple conventional air terminals.

Fully autonomous
Operating energy is harvested entirely from the ambient electrical field during storm conditions, requiring no external power source, batteries, solar panels or radioactive components, removing the maintenance burden associated with these alternatives.

Reliable
Each terminal undergoes insulation and functionality testing during manufacture, along with current withstand testing at 100 kA. Electronics are encapsulated in urethane resin and terminal bodies are machined from solid 304L stainless steel, supporting a confirmed field service life of over 40 years.

Low maintenance
The RodCheck visual strike indicator gives a mechanical signal visible from a distance if the terminal has been struck at a level requiring a functionality check, allowing status to be assessed from ground level without relying on batteries or other active components.

Technical support
OPR Designer and Pulsar Designer software help produce complete lightning protection technical studies from site drawings, including protected area layouts, terminal positioning, bills of material and test certificates, supported by risk assessment to NF C 17-102 Annex A and IEC 62305-2.