The corona as lightning arrester

Occasional suggestion has been made in recent years that the properties of the high-voltage corona might be utilized as a protection against lightning and other similar types of disturbance on transmission lines. The idea in these suggestions is that since the ionization attending corona renders the air conducting, the excess voltage following the lightning discharge will be relieved or lowered by leakage between lines or to ground. It has been stated that lines operating in the highest range of transmission voltages are more immune from lightning disturbances than those of lower voltage, and that this is due to the fact that they operate nearer to corona-forming voltage, and that abnormal rises of voltage are thus prevented by the relatively low value at which corona forms. This paper aims to present additional evidence that the suggestion-mentioned is not only sound but has important possibilities. Experiments are described indicating a relatively simple and inexpensive method of equipping transmission lines to take advantage of the protective properties of the corona, without incurring its disadvantages.