Lightning conductor -Van de Graaff Generator- working principle and construction

Lightning conductor - working principle and construction

Lightning conductor

This is a simple device used to protect tall buildings from the lightning.

It consists of a long thick copper rod passing through the building to ground. The lower end of the rod is connected to a copper plate buried deeply into the ground. A metal plate with number of spikes is connected to the top end of the copper rod and kept at the top of the building.

When a negatively charged cloud passes over the building, positive charge will be induced on the pointed conductor. The positively charged sharp points will ionize the air in the vicinity. This will partly neutralize the negative charge of the cloud, thereby lowering the potential of the cloud. The negative charges that are attracted to the conductor travels down to the earth. Thereby preventing the lightning stroke from the damage of the building.

Van de Graaff Generator

In 1929, Robert J. Van de Graaff designed an electrostatic machine which produces large electrostatic potential difference of the order of 107 V.

The working of Van de Graaff generator is based on the principle of electrostatic induction and action of points.

A hollow metallic sphere A is mounted on insulating pillars as shown in the diagram A pulley B is mounted at the centre of the sphere and another pulley C is mounted near the bottom. A belt made of silk moves over the pulleys. The pulley C is driven continuously by an electric motor. Two comb?shaped conductors D and E having number of needles, are mounted near the pulleys. The comb D is maintained at a positive potential of the order of 104 volt by a power supply. The upper comb E is connected to the inner side of the hollow metal sphere.

Because of the high electric field near the comb D, the air gets ionised due to action of points, the negative charges in air move towards the needles and positive charges are repelled on towards the belt. These positive charges stick to the belt, moves up and reaches near the comb E.

As a result of electrostatic induction, the comb E acquires negative charge and the sphere acquires positive charge. The acquired positive charge is distributed on the outer surface of the sphere. The high electric field at the comb E ionises the air. Hence, negative charges are repelled to the belt, neutralises the positive charge on the belt before the belt passes over the pulley. Hence the descending belt will be left uncharged.

Thus the machine, continuously transfers the positive charge to the sphere. As a result, the potential of the sphere keeps increasing till it attains a limiting value (maximum). After this stage no more charge can be placed on the sphere, it starts leaking to the surrounding due to ionisation of the air.

The leakage of charge from the sphere can be reduced by enclosing it in a gas filled steel chamber at a very high pressure.

The high voltage produced in this generator can be used to accelerate positive ions (protons, deuterons) for the purpose of nuclear disintegration.