lightning electromagnetic pulse (EMC) (LEMP)

Electromagnetic pulses, Lightning Electromagnetic Pulses (LEMP), are triggered by lightning strikes and generate overvoltages on the supply lines that can cause damage to the equipment. Damage from a LEMP pulse can occur up to 1 km from the lightning strike location. This relatively large hazard area is related to the increasing sensitivity of information technology equipment and systems and the large network expansion.

In the case of thunderstorm surges, a distinction is made between direct, near and far strikes. In the case of a direct strike, the lightning strikes the building to be protected. In a near strike, it strikes the utility grid of an extended facility or a cable system; and in a far strike, it strikes the medium- voltage overhead line of a transmission line, discharges between clouds, or strikes in the immediate vicinity. To protect buildings, facilities, equipment, the communications network, and the utility grid, facilities must be taken to protect against lightning and to dissipate the surge.

According to DIN, the LEMP protection system is also referred to as LPMS (LEMP Protection Measures System), which must be a fully coordinated lightning protection system, since individual measures do not provide effective lightning protection.