Lightning experience on wood pole lines

Operating experience with many electric power lines of various types utilizing wood as lightning insulation, has demonstrated that ordinary wood can be used to advantage in combination with other measures for improving the lightning performance of lines. In this article are outlined the results of a careful analysis of this operating data and the pertinent conclusions drawn therefrom. Methods of construction offering the greatest promise at present are: diverting the lightning strokes so as to prevent flashovers to the power conductors; draining the lightning from the power conductors through fast operating dynamic follow current interrupting devices; and a combination of these 2 methods.