Lightning protection for a saltwater storage battery

Abstract

A lightning protection system can include a storage battery comprising at least one tank, a pressure control valve coupled to the storage battery, a vacuum pump fluidly coupled to the storage battery, and a controller communicatively coupled to the vacuum pump that executes a lightning protection application that modulates the vacuum pump to draw a vacuum within the storage battery.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A lightning protection system, comprising:
 a storage battery comprising at least one tank;   a pressure control valve coupled to the storage battery;   a vacuum pump fluidly coupled to the storage battery; and   a controller communicatively coupled to the vacuum pump that executes a lightning protection application that modulates the vacuum pump to draw a vacuum within the storage battery.   
     
     
         2 . The lightning protection system of  claim 1 , wherein the storage battery is a saltwater storage battery. 
     
     
         3 . The lightning protection system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tank comprising fiberglass. 
     
     
         4 . The lightning protection system of  claim 1 , wherein the storage battery comprises a plurality of tanks. 
     
     
         5 . The lightning protection system of  claim 1 , wherein the storage battery comprises at least one settling tank, at least one oil storage tank, and at least one saltwater storage tank. 
     
     
         6 . The lightning protection system of  claim 1 , comprising a vent pipe network fluidly coupled to the storage battery and fluidly coupled to the vacuum pump. 
     
     
         7 . The lightning protection system of  claim 1 , comprising a pressure sensor fluidly coupled to the storage battery, wherein the controller modulates the vacuum pump based on a pressure signal received from the pressure sensor. 
     
     
         8 . A lightning protection system controller, comprising:
 a processor;   a non-transitory memory; and   a lightning protection application stored in the non-transitory memory that, when executed by the processor   receives a lightning activity signal from a lightning activity sensing system,   in response to the lightning activity signal, turns on a vacuum pump,   receives a pressure signal from a pressure sensor associated with a storage battery, and   modulates the vacuum pump based on the pressure signal to draw a vacuum on a storage battery.   
     
     
         9 . The lightning protection system controller of  claim 8 , wherein the lightning protection system controller is a programmable logic controller (PLC). 
     
     
         10 . The lightning protection system controller of  claim 8 , wherein the lightning protection application modulates the vacuum pump to maintain a pressure vacuum of about 0.4 pounds per square inch. 
     
     
         11 . The lightning protection system controller of  claim 8 , wherein the lightning protection application turns off the vacuum pump in response to the lightning activity signal. 
     
     
         12 . The lightning protection system controller of  claim 8 , comprising a radio receiver, wherein the lightning activity signal is received via the radio. 
     
     
         13 . The lightning protection system controller of  claim 8 , comprising a radio receiver, wherein the pressure signal is received via the radio. 
     
     
         14 . A method of protecting a saltwater disposal well storage battery, comprising:
 receiving a lightning activity signal from a lightning activity sensing system;   based on the lightning activity signal, turning on a vacuum pump that is fluidly coupled to a saltwater disposal well storage battery;   receiving a pressure signal from a pressure sensor associated with the saltwater disposal well storage battery;   modulates the vacuum pump based on the pressure signal to maintain a predefined pressure associated with the saltwater disposal well storage battery; and   preventing an escape of gases from the saltwater disposal well storage battery in response to maintaining the predefined pressure.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the lightning activity signal is a numeric value. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the lightning activity signal is an active-non active signal. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , comprising based on the lightning activity signal, turning off the vacuum pump. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein modulating the vacuum pump comprises varying a variable frequency drive control of the vacuum pump. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein modulating the vacuum pump comprises varying a variable speed drive control of the vacuum pump. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the method is performed by a lightning protection application executing on a lightning protection system controller.