France IF3 Early Streamer Emission Lightning Rod

The France Paratonnerres IF3 ionizing pre-discharge lightning rod introduces the fundamental feature of "promoted ionization" based on the discharge principle of traditional lightning rods, achieving earlier leader discharge than conventional lightning rods, thereby expanding the protection radius and improving the safety factor. 
At the IF3 lightning rod factory in Gueret, France, IF3 technicians continuously research with one goal in mind: "reliability." It is this perseverance that has earned the trust of numerous prestigious users, including: France Telecom, EDF, DEA, the French National Space Research Center, the French Ministry of Culture building, TDF, the Bank of France, and Euro Disney.

I. Working Principle of the IF3 Pre-Discharge Lightning Rod (France IF3 Lightning Rod)

In 90% of cases, the charge distribution in thunderclouds involves the accumulation of negative charges in the lower layer. When the negative charge accumulates to a certain extent, the thundercloud acts like a large capacitor relative to the earth, creating an extremely strong electric field in the atmosphere, sometimes reaching hundreds of volts per centimeter. The IONIFLASH ionizing lightning rod utilizes this phenomenon: the ground potential reaches point A through the connecting rod, while the six sensing electrodes detect the potential at point B in the atmosphere. If the lightning rod is installed on top of a 100-meter building, there is a potential difference of several hundred thousand volts between points A and B, causing intense spark discharge. This ionizes the air at the top of the lightning rod, generating a large number of ions. These free ions rapidly move upward due to the electric field force, shortening the insulation distance between the thundercloud and the lightning rod, further increasing the electric field strength and ionizing the air until leader discharge and main discharge occur. Due to its specially designed ionization process, it can generate an upward leader earlier than other nearby high points, achieving the goal of discharging first. This lead time in triggering is referred to as the pre-discharge time ΔT. This is the main performance indicator for evaluating pre-discharge lightning rods (ESE-type lightning rods).

Note: h (m) is the effective installation height of the IF3 pre-discharge lightning rod, i.e., the height of the IF3 pre-discharge lightning rod above the protected object. According to the national lightning protection standard GB50057-94 "Code for Design of Lightning Protection of Buildings," the rolling sphere radius D for Class I, II, and III lightning protection buildings is 30m, 45m, and 60m, respectively. According to the French national lightning protection standard NFC17-102, the rolling sphere radius D for Class I, II, and III buildings is 20m, 45m, and 60m, respectively.

Download Materials:


IF3.pdf