The Lightning Monitoring System LM-S from Phoenix Contact provides online information about lightning strikes in a plant, therefore helping to optimise the planning of maintenance activities.

This new system identifies and analyses all of the important parameters of lightning surge currents based on the Faraday effect. A light signal is used as measuring medium. The way in which this light signal is influenced provides information about the type and magnitude of the lightning strike.

Users can utilise this information to optimally plan monitoring and maintenance activities. This is especially advantageous for plants and systems in exposed locations such as wind turbines.

The system comprises an evaluation unit with up to three sensors. The sensors are mounted on the discharge conductors that conduct the lightning current. They are connected by fibre-optic cables to the evaluation unit, which communicates with existing supervisory control or management systems via an Ethernet interface. The integrated Web interface allows 24/7 access to the most important data of all of the monitored systems via the system’s own network.