Millennium Force gets struck by lightning!
Detroit Channel 4 reported that Millennium Force was struck by lightning last night. No damages where reported, but I wonder if they will have enough time, with all this weather, to get all three trains working by Saturday.
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Millennium Force will be the next to sink!
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Millennium Force will be the next to sink!
The lightning in that region was bad last night,they had 1300+ strikes in 3 hours or less! It was inevitable though, I am sure there were precautions in place to prevent damage.
Of note, many of the taller rides (Space Spiral, Power Tower) are natural attractions for lightning. I'm sure they are equipped with lightning rods to conduct the energy under ground.
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Neil
The Dawn of the Millennium is upon us!!
Everyone, grab your season passes
and repent!!
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Neil
The Dawn of the Millennium is upon us!!
Everyone, grab your season passes
and repent!!
The lightning was horrendous...There was a huge lightning storm around 10 EST here, and we also got some hail. The wind was upwards of 58 mph.
You guys know this storm was just to make sure Millennium Force could handle it. ;)
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Millennium Force will be the next to sink!
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Millennium Force will be the next to sink!
yea-i was at the detroit tigers game(witch ended up getting canciled)and it started to hail out-it was also like daytime with all the lightning.
It was TERRIBLE over hear on the Indiana border, there were 14 tornadoes in the area! people's house had trees thrown through people's houses, houses destroyed, debris every where. There was a tree that snapped at the base, thrown 50 feet and just barely missed my car. Let's just hope that MF doesn't have to go through anything like that.
Neil is mostly correct...
Lightning is a discharge which usually comes from a convenient point on a conductor. So it is unlikely to come from a circular rail, but likely to come from the edge of a track tie. It is really not necessary to equip a steel coaster with lightning rods to attract lightning provided that the critical circuits are isolated from the steel structure AND the steel structure is adequately bonded to a suitable ground. If the ride structure is grounded, it will provide a low-resistance path to ground, which will prevent damage from the lightning strike. A lightning rod actually attracts lightning...it provides a low-resistance path for the lightning bolt to follow so that it won't instead propogate through a higher-resistance path and cause Big Problems. For instance, a rain-soaked wood coaster is a pretty lousy conductor, but it can conduct lightning to ground...but at a high enough resistance that the conductor (such as it is) will heat up and catch fire. Making a lightning rod a very Good Idea.
I think I got that more or less right. Gemini, can you comment on this?
--Dave Althoff, Jr., who thinks he remembers something about Gemini's academic background that might be useful here...
Lightning is a discharge which usually comes from a convenient point on a conductor. So it is unlikely to come from a circular rail, but likely to come from the edge of a track tie. It is really not necessary to equip a steel coaster with lightning rods to attract lightning provided that the critical circuits are isolated from the steel structure AND the steel structure is adequately bonded to a suitable ground. If the ride structure is grounded, it will provide a low-resistance path to ground, which will prevent damage from the lightning strike. A lightning rod actually attracts lightning...it provides a low-resistance path for the lightning bolt to follow so that it won't instead propogate through a higher-resistance path and cause Big Problems. For instance, a rain-soaked wood coaster is a pretty lousy conductor, but it can conduct lightning to ground...but at a high enough resistance that the conductor (such as it is) will heat up and catch fire. Making a lightning rod a very Good Idea.
I think I got that more or less right. Gemini, can you comment on this?
--Dave Althoff, Jr., who thinks he remembers something about Gemini's academic background that might be useful here...
That would have been REALLY COOL to have seen happen last night!
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"Magnum is very good value!" -- A RCT Guest on Magnum
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"Magnum is very good value!" -- A RCT Guest on Magnum
i actually saw lightning last night that somewhat resembled the M logo.... eerie aye ------------
oh don't worry, the first hill isn't all that baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaadddddddddd!!!!!
oh don't worry, the first hill isn't all that baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaadddddddddd!!!!!
I'll tell you now, MF better get used to lightning, it will see its faire share of it
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Brian Z.
Hometown parks: Kennywood, Cedar Point!
2 days until The Force
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Brian Z.
Hometown parks: Kennywood, Cedar Point!
2 days until The Force
Dave, somehow I knew you would chime in with your infinite wisdom! :)
Interestingly said of how a circular rail would not act as an ideal conductor (which I assume you mean the track in this case), but moreover the tower supports could actually be the ideal conduction point (not to mention the electricity that feeds the beacon light could also attract the atmospheric discharge) It would seem that each of the support towers are in fact, equipped with lightning rods (or is the steel towers in itself handle this task?), with some type of connection to the track in order to acheive this resistance?
Digging even further in this analysis, my concern is mostly with the computer systems, as well as the motors of MF, how in turn are they protected from scenarios such as a lightning strike? We all have heard that SOB's computer systems suffered a set-back as a result of a lightning strike, it would seem that this resulted from poor planning as many controls are exposed directly to the elements. Surely CP has come up with a viable back-up plan to prevent such catastrophies.
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Neil
Feeling academically enlightend at this point *** This post was edited by Seven-of-9 on 5/10/2000. ***
Interestingly said of how a circular rail would not act as an ideal conductor (which I assume you mean the track in this case), but moreover the tower supports could actually be the ideal conduction point (not to mention the electricity that feeds the beacon light could also attract the atmospheric discharge) It would seem that each of the support towers are in fact, equipped with lightning rods (or is the steel towers in itself handle this task?), with some type of connection to the track in order to acheive this resistance?
Digging even further in this analysis, my concern is mostly with the computer systems, as well as the motors of MF, how in turn are they protected from scenarios such as a lightning strike? We all have heard that SOB's computer systems suffered a set-back as a result of a lightning strike, it would seem that this resulted from poor planning as many controls are exposed directly to the elements. Surely CP has come up with a viable back-up plan to prevent such catastrophies.
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Neil
Feeling academically enlightend at this point *** This post was edited by Seven-of-9 on 5/10/2000. ***
well I'm sure Power Tower has had its fair share as well (seeing as how that it is only 10 feet shorter than MF) and it seems to be getting along all right.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't lightning rods do the opposite of attracting lightning? If I remember correctly from my E.Mag physics class, a lightning rod provides a drain from the electricity build up over the area to ground...thus the clouds never generate enough static charge to discharge to ground (lightning), and instead it seeps rather constantly to ground. Thus, it is very unlikely that a structure fitted with a lightning rod would ever get struck by lightning. Of course, MF would need one on the lift, the second hill, the third hill, each turn, etc.
Jman
Jman
Wow! I can't help but to think of what a great photo that would have made!! Almost like the coaster Gods saying "behold the greatest" :)
Craig
Craig
The principle of a lightning rid is to generate a nice sharp edge that static can build one and discharge to/from. Now - the lightning rod is designed so that the millions of volts and way too many amps run along that nice, gentle, oh-so conducting wire and into the ground -- as opposed to into the expensive ride controller.
I think SOB had some problems because its structure [wood] doesn't conduct nearly as well as MF's does.
I think SOB had some problems because its structure [wood] doesn't conduct nearly as well as MF's does.
What are the odd's that Ohio's two most anticipated rides of the year have already been struck by lightning when they haven't even been open for 3 weeks yet? (i forget when SOB started people on the ride)
I couldn't have said it better, Dave!
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Cedar Point Virtual Midway
Coming May 22
http://www.schmidty.com
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Cedar Point Virtual Midway
Coming May 22
http://www.schmidty.com
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