![]() ![]() These earth circuits are equipped with lightning strike counters that allow the electricians of the Société d'Exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE) to carry out a verification of these links as soon as it is deemed necessary. This is to limit power surges that would disrupt the general operation and also comply with the recommendations of current electrical standards. #TourEiffel #Foudre #Orage #Paris /RzCvyVJhTfįor the preservation and proper functioning of the monument's electrical systems, surge arresters were installed in the electrical panels and copper circuits or cables were added. ? La foudre a de nouveau frappé ! Merci encore à Bertrand Kulik pour ces images. Fortunately, the public doesn’t access these external beams, so there’s no danger for visitors to the Tower during a storm. ![]() When that happens, the lattice structure of the Tower plays a protective role and acts like a Faraday cage, a sort of metal enclosure that directs the energy of lightning to the ground, only through the outside of the building. When lightning strikes occur elsewhere than on the lightning conductors of the summit, they can also reach the top antenna or lattice girders of the structure. Like in our buildings, these lightning conductors are connected to insulated cables that go down to the ground to ensure the dispersion of electricity. However, right from its construction, Gustave Eiffel had planned for everything! He installed 4 lightning rods at the top, like copper brooms directed to the sky. Especially since it is made of wrought iron, which is considered a very conductive metal. Being the highest point in Paris, it’s an easy target for lightning, which tends to take the easiest and quickest route to the earth. The Eiffel Tower is, by its structure, naturally connected to the ground. And yet, this doesn’t affect it, and it doesn’t pose any risk to the public either. Since its birth in 1889, the monument has "attracted" lightning during storms – there are on average 5 impacts every year. The Eiffel tower and lightning have a long history.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |