TEN350 The waveform that hijacked the IEC lightning standards
THE HASSE 10/350 CHART
Birth of the 10/350 waveform
Dr. Hasse unveiled his grandiloquent "10/350" idea on page 46 of the first German edition of his book "Overvoltage Protection of Low Voltage Systems: Using electronic equipment even in the face of direct lightning strikes" "Überspannungsschutz von Niederspannungsanlagen - Einsatz elektronischer Geräte auch bei direkten Blitzeinschlägen", (Verlag TOV Rheinland GmbH, Koblenz,) published in 1987. The chart is shown below.
Roll your mouse over the above chart to activate links giving details of relevant aspects.
A first look shows it features all 5 of IEC 62305's 10/350 parameters (highlighted).
A second look shows Hasse is attributing these parameters to a German standard "VG 96901." A check with DIN (the German Standards Institute) disclosed that VG96901 was never a valid standard. It was a "prestandard" without authority or precedence.
But that is of but little import since Hasse states in the text introducing this chart that he personally created it. And, indeed, the sole citation (shown on the bottom of the chart as /42/) refers to a "guideline" authored by Hasse in 1982.
The accompanying text broadly announces (possibly for the first time) that this chart represented the parameters of direct lightning strikes, and that spark gap surge protectors were required "without exception" to be used to protect electrical and particularly electronic information technology systems. (p. 46-47)
Just months after the publication of his book Dr. Hasse brought his 10/350 Chart to the IEC TC 81 meeting in Japan (June 1988) to give structure to his lecture on the "true waveform of direct lightning." Here the indoctrination included the parameters from the Hasse 10/350 chart (200kA, 100 C, 10 MJ per ohm) plus showed dozens of photos of his Dehn spark gap arrestors. Here's the slide of the Hasse 10/350 Chart extracted from that presentation. You can see he proudly cites himself (and his 1987 book) as the source of the chart.
In those days Hasse hadn't yet begun laying responsibility for the 10/350 waveform at the door of Berger & CIGRE. That was to come later.
His 1987 book (where the chart first appeared) contains 83 references and citations but there is no mention of either Berger or CIGRE.
That is because, as shown in the above data, the 10/350 waveform came from Dr. Peter Hasse.
LINKS TO THE HASSE PAGES - 1) Dr. Peter Hasse: living legend
- 2) Birth of the 10/350 Waveform (You are here.)
- 3) Birth of the Hasse Lightning Protection Zones
- 4) The 10/350 Public Relations Campaign: 10km wide and 350 km long
- 5) Dr. Hasse & lightning protection standards committees
- 6) The campaign continues--with a new twist
- 7) There's more to the 10/350 waveform than the 10 and the 350: the rest of the story.
- 8) Conflicts of Interest and Accountability
- Back to HOME page