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Date: Thursday, October 24th, 2013
Location: SRP Information Services Building (ISB), 1600 N Priest Dr, Tempe, AZ 85281
Speaker: Dr. Michael Stringfellow, PowerCET
Topic: "Residential Lightning Fires in the USA - An Update"
The topic will include data from the author's two recently published IEEE papers on the subject, analysis and photographs of actual residential lightning fires and the results of computer simulations of lightning currents in unprotected structures. These data confirm the author's earlier conclusions that many residential lightning fires are the result of damage to the electrical power system in the building, although a fraction do result from direct ignition caused by severe lightning strikes. Proposals for changes to US Codes of Practice, including the National Electrical Code, are suggested to help mitigate the problem.
Speaker Bio:
Prior to joining PowerCET, Dr. Stringfellow held the positions of Chief Scientist and Director of Research for EFI Corporation. Other experiences include 9 years with the Electric Supply Commission (Eskom) in South Africa, and work with Kearney National and Atlantic Scientific Corporation. His research has focused on lightning surges and their impact on commercial and industrial facilities, and utility transmission and distribution systems. Dr. Stringfellow has published numerous articles and research papers during his distinguished career. He is a member of IEEE and is an active member on several committees. He earned a B.S. Honors Degree in Physics from the University of London and his Ph.D. in Atmospheric Electricity from University of Durham.