The applicability of lightning elimination devices to substations and power lines

Unlike the Franklin lightning rod, which achieves protection by providing a sacrificial point for the termination of lightning flashes, special devices employing the point-discharge phenomenon have been marketed since the early 1970s with the objective of eliminating lightning strikes. The application of those devices has been mostly limited to communication towers and other tall structures, with the manufacturers claiming success and the scientific community expressing strong scepticism. In recent years, the manufacturers have been attempting to sell those devices to electric utilities for use in substations and on power lines. This paper presents a new theory which reconciles the apparent success of such devices in minimizing/eliminating lightning damage to many tall towers with the established scientific position regarding their inability to eliminate lightning. This paper also shows that lightning elimination devices would not benefit power lines nor substations.