Discussion at Spring convention: Lightning disturbances on distribution circuits: Operating experience with current-limiting reactors: Short-circuit forces on reactor supports: Standardized insulator tests

E. C. Stone: As I understand this lightning situation, the lightning arrester must have large charging capacities. The lightning arrester must choke the dynamic current that may follow from the system. Those two conditions are almost diametrically opposite. However, in very low voltages, by which I mean under four or five thousand the dynamic problem is comparatively simple, and you can hold down the dynamic current following with a low resistance which is not high enough to seriously interfere with your discharge but as you go to the high voltages, the problem of holding back the dynamic current without checking the surge discharge becomes more and more complicated and involves more and more complicated apparatus. At voltages of 150 to 220,000, you have to put so much insulation on to hold the line voltage, that the lightning arrester is not important. I will say that our problem for 234,000 volts is practically solved today by distributing the proper arresters. In that way we can get a high percentage of protection from four thousand volts up to some unknown quantity of 66 or 88 or 110.