2011 7th Asia-Pacific International Conference on Lightning, November 1-4, 2011, Chengdu, China

Lightning Protection System Components Standards

in IEC 62561
Dimitrios Kokkinos 1, Prof. Dr. Jan Meppelink 2, Mitchell Guthrie 3
1

IEC/TC81/WG11, Convenor, Greece

IEC/TC81/WG11, Expert, Germany
3
IEC/TC81, Chairman, USA

dkokkinos@elemko.gr
janmeppelink@mac.com
mitchellguthrie@embarqmail.com
2

Abstract The aim of this paper is to present the new test

requirements for Lightning Protection System Components
LPSC as described in the new IEC 62561 series. In particular it
summarizes the test procedure and pass requirements for
connection components used in a Lightning Protection System
LPS such as lightning conductor clamps, bonding & earthing
clamps, bridging components, pipe clamps, equipotential
bonding bars as described in the forthcoming IEC 62561 1
standard. The reader may understand the entire test method
including the sample preparation procedure, the ageing
environmental tests, the electrical & mechanical tests as well as
the final pass criteria.

standard for connection components for lightning protection

and earthing systems.
Connection clamps

Not satisfying the

requirements

Selection of test arrangement

Satisfying requirement of IEC 62561-1
Apply of tightening torque

Ageing test

I. INTRODUCTION
The IEC 62561 series of standards is developed to provide
a set of international standards for lightning protection system
components to be used in system installations designed in
accordance with IEC 62305. The IEC 62561 series of
standards will replace the existing series of EN 50164 and
other component standards for those countries outside of
CENELEC. The IEC 62561 standards are performance-based
standards containing extensive laboratory type-tests for
confirmation of performance as shown in Diagram 1. Many
participating nations have previously used or are currently
using dimensional or descriptive component standards.
IEC 62561 currently exists of 7 parts covering such
components as clamps and conductors, conductors, air
termination rods, earth electrodes, conductor fasteners,
isolating spark gaps, and soil improvement compounds.
Additional work is under consideration on a standard on
components for isolated protection systems.
Performance testing included in the standard includes
environmental ageing, impulse current tests, electrical
resistivity tests, and mechanical tests such as bend, tensile,
elongation, and adhesion of coated components. Each part of
the standard describes the specific tests to be applied to
provide the required safety so as to prove that the components
are appropriate for use.
The purpose of this paper is to provide a description of the
application of the IEC lightning protection standard. IEC
62561 Part 1 will be used to explain the application of the

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Satisfying requirement of IEC 62561-1

Electrical test with impulse
current of 50kA or 100kA 10/350s
Satisfying requirement of IEC 62561-1
Test of contact resistance
Satisfying requirement of IEC 62561-1
Test of loosening torque
Satisfying requirement of IEC 62561-1
FAIL

PASS

Issue of test result report

Diagram 1: Summary of tests for connection components

as per IEC 62561-1

II. SELECTION OF CLAMP AND ASSOCIATED CONDUCTORS

IEC 62561 1 requires the manufacturer of the product to
declare the arrangement for which the clamp is to be tested.
Figure 1 shows an overview. The clamp shall be tested in
each connection arrangement of its intended use. For example,
if the same clamp is used in more than one connection
arrangement, then all arrangements shall be tested. In
addition, if the same clamp is intended to be used with
different sized conductors or conductors of different materials
all combinations shall be tested individually.

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B1

B2

B3

Cross connector

Parallel connector

In line connector

Conductors

B4
T connector

B5
Clamp for parallel
connection
Metal installation

B6

500mm

Clamp St/tZn

Clamp for T
connection

Fixed point

Metal installation

Tightening
Torque

B7

B8

B9

Pipe clamp for

parallel connection a

Pipe clamp for T

connection

Bridging component

Metal pipe

Metal pipe

Metal installation

Clamp
500mm

Conductor St/tZn, 8

Figure 2: Typical test arrangement of B1 (cross connection)

B10
Equipotential bonding bar

Conductor Al, 8

Figure 1: Typical testing arrangement for connection components used in a

lightning protection system

In this discussion we will consider the case of a single

clamp that may be used in arrangements B1 (cross) and B2
(parallel) with 8mm diameter round conductors of both
aluminium and galvanized steel. The following arrangements
of the clamp shall be used in the approval testing:
x
3 specimens in arrangement B1 with steel conductors
8mm
x
3 specimens in arrangement B1 with aluminium
conductors 8mm
x
3 specimens in arrangement B2 with steel conductors
8mm
x
3 specimens in arrangement B2 with aluminium
conductors 8mm
x
3 specimens in arrangement B1 with steel 8mm /
aluminium 8mm conductor
x
3 specimens in arrangement B2 with steel 8mm /
aluminium 8mm conductor

Figure 3: Typical test arrangement of B1 before ageing

2. All 3 specimens should be exposed to artificial ageing

composed of salt mist, sulphur dioxide and ammonia
(depending on the clamp material). Ageing chambers are
shown in Figure 4 and 5. After the ageing test none of the test
specimens shall have any visual corrosion.

In total, 6 sets of specimens are required consisting of 18

test specimens.
III. TEST PROCEDURE
The tests shall be performed on 3 new specimens of the
same type and all 3 have to satisfy the pass criteria of the
standard in order to be certified. The test sequence is the
following:
1. The 3 specimens shall be cleaned and assembled as per
the manufacturers instructions. The tightening torque of
every screw shall be given by the manufacturer of the clamp.
The test arrangement is shown in Figure 2 and 3.
Figure 4: Salt mist ageing test chamber

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Figure 7: Crow bar lightning current generator

Figure 5: SO2 ageing test chamber

3. Upon completion of the ageing criteria, each of the

specimens shall be subjected to 3 current impulses of either
50kA or 100kA of the current parameters given in Table 1.
The parameters are typically applied using the so called
10/350s waveshape according to IEC 62305-1, Annex C.
This impulse represents the physical impact of the first
positive stroke with the corresponding peak current as well as
the specific energy and it covers the major part of the overall
impact of a lightning stroke. Examples of impulse generators
are shown in Figure 6 and 7. After the electrical testing the
conductors shall not be loose.
Table 1 Lightning impulse current (I i mp ) parameters
Classification

Peak current I imp

kA 10 %

Specific energy W/R

kJ/: 35 %

100

2 500

50

625

4. Each of the 3 specimens across the connection

component shall have a contact resistance of <1m or
<2,5m for stainless steel components.
5. The loosening torque of the first screw shall be <1,5 x
the tightening torque and >0,25 x the tightening torque.
6. If one of the specimens does not pass all the above tests,
the connection components has failed to pass the IEC 62561-1
criteria.
NOTE: IEC 62561 allows the manufacturer to submit an
additional set of test specimens that may be tested if only one
failure occurs in the initial testing. The configuration will be
rejected if there is a failure in the original testing and no
additional set of specimens are provided or if there is a single
failure in the testing of the additional specimen.
IV. AGEING TEST
Independent of the installation of the connection
component (either below or above ground) each test specimen
shall be subjected to an artificial / technical ageing
conditioning test. The ageing process required in IEC 62561
1 is composed of a 72 hour salt mist test as per Annex A1 of
IEC 62561 1, followed by a 168 hours sulphur dioxide (SO2)
test. If the component is made of a copper alloy with <80%
copper, then the same specimens shall pass through a third test
in an ammonia environment for 24 hours. The sequence is
illustrated in Figure 8 and 9. After the ageing test the
specimens should not have any spots of visual corrosion.
Figure 10 shows clamps after ageing.
Clamp above and below ground
1st salt mist  3 days
2nd sulphurous dioxide SO2  7 days
3rd ammonia  1 day

3 days 72hrs
1 day 24hrs

Figure 6: Combination crow bar and direct discharge lightning current

generator

2 hrs Salt mist treatment spraying

22 hrs ageing process at elevated

temperature in humid environment

Figure 8: Salt mist test cycle

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The criteria of Table 1 is met by using a typical 10/350
waveshape impulse current. After the electrical test all the
specimens shall have no loose parts.
The connection component has passed successfully the
electrical test if all 3 specimens after the ageing and the
electrical test have:
- no visual corrosion, cracks or deformation which may
affect its use. Figure 12 and 13 show clamps after impulse
testing with mechanical deformation.

Clamp above and below ground

1st salt mist  3 days
2nd sulphurous dioxide SO2  7 days
3rd ammonia  1 day

7 days 168hrs
1 day 24hrs

8 hrs SO2 Treatment spraying

16 hrs ageing process at elevated

temperature in humid environment

Figure 9: SO2 test cycle

Figure 12: Typical test arrangement of B1 after impulse current tests

Figure 10: Typical test arrangement of B1 after ageing

V. IMPULSE CURRENT ELECTRICAL TEST

After the ageing test, each of the unclean specimens shall
be subjected to three discharges of an impulse current of
100kA for Class H Heavy Duty or three discharges of an
impulse current of 50kA for Class N Normal Duty.
Table 1 provides the criteria for the impulse currents to be
used in the testing. The wave shape 10/350 is shown in
Figure 11.

Figure 13: Overview of the arrangement after impulse current test

- the contact resistance across the connection component

satisfies the requirements of the above Section 3, item 4.
Figure 14 shows an example of the resistance measurement.

Current (kA)

Peak current value

50% of peak current value

10/350s
in 10s (Front time)

In 350s (Tail time)

Time (s)

Figure 11: Impulse current waveshape of 10/350

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load test aims to simulate the static (not dynamic) stresses
such as high winds, snow, ice or other mechanical forces that
a connection component may experience throughout is life
time. Figure 17 shows the device for static load testing.

Figure 14: Measurement of contact resistance across the connection

component

Figure 17: Static load test device

- the loosening torque of the first screw of each specimen

satisfies the requirements of the above Section 3, item 5 as
shown in Figure 15.

VII.
TEST REPORT
As per IEC 62561 1 the content of the test report shall
include at least the following information ( 8 of IEC 62561-1
contains the complete content list)
x
The test laboratory address
x
The staff that performed the tests
x
Description of the test method
x
Description of the test specimens (i.e. drawings,
arrangement, conductors etc)
x
Photographs of the specimens
x
Reference standards
x
Description of the test equipment (i.e. ageing test
chambers, impulse current generators etc)
x
Description of measurement equipment (i.e.
oscilloscopes, current measurement devices etc)
x
Recorded test results (i.e. torque values, contact
resistance values, impulse current oscilloscope graphs
etc)
x
Pass / Fail statement of the test laboratory.

Figure 15: Measurement of the loosening torque

Figure 16: Overview of the arrangement after impulse current test

VI. STATIC LOAD TEST

IEC 62561-1 also contains the requirement that the
connector pass a static load test in order to be certified to the
standard. The tests are performed in 3 new specimens of the
same type and all 3 have to satisfy the pass criteria. The static

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For the static load test:

1. Three specimens shall be cleaned and assembled as per
the manufacturer instructions. The tightening torque of every
screw shall be given by the manufacturer of the clamp.
2. All 3 specimens shall be exposed a vertical load test with
a force of 900N and all 3 specimens should remain intact.
The conductors shall not move greater than 1 mm.

VIII.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We wish to express our thanks to the active cooperation of
all IEC/TC81/WG11 experts who have prepared the IEC
62561 series of standards on which this document has been
written.
We gratefully acknowledge the work of our colleagues:
Arai Y, Beierl O, Bouchard R, Bouquegneau C, Brocke R,
Caie M, Crevenat V, Frauenfelder H, Furuta M, Henaff Y,
Kang S, Kitajima S, Kokkinos N, Kransteiner K, Lee B,
Loboda M, Marciniak R, Merrill A, Miki T, Miyama Y, Mosti
G, Polo S, Pols E, Pomar V, Proepster J, Roland B, Rousseau

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A, Sato H, Sato M, Sherlock J, Szedenik N, Takano K, Tretter
J, Troubat M, Trousse O, VanSickle H, Yokoyama S.
LoPiparo G.B. Secretary of IEC/TC81.
IX. REFERENCES
Standards for designing an internal and external lightning
protection system:
x
IEC 62305-1: Protection against lightning: Part 1:
General Principles
x
IEC 62305-2: Protection against lightning: Part 2:
Risk Management
x
IEC 62305-3: Protection against lightning: Part 3:
Physical damage to structures and life hazard
x
IEC 62305-4: Protection against lightning: Part 4:
Electrical and electronic systems within structures
Standards for test requirements for lightning protection
components:
x
IEC 62561-1: Lightning protection components
(LPSC): Part 1: Requirements for connection
components
x
IEC 62561-2: Lightning protection components
(LPSC): Part 2: Requirements for conductors and
earth electrodes
x
IEC 62561-3: Lightning protection components
(LPSC): Part 3: Requirements for isolating spark gaps
x
IEC 62561-4: Lightning protection components
(LPSC): Part 4: Requirements for conductor fasteners
x
IEC 62561-5, Lightning Protection Components
(LPSC), Part 5: Requirements for earth electrode
inspection housings
x
IEC 62561-6, Lightning Protection Components
(LPSC), Part 6: Requirements for lightning strike
counters
x
IEC 62561-7, Lightning Protection Components
(LPSC), Part 7: Requirements for earthing enhancing
compounds

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