ABSTRACT

This chapter aims to discuss the lightning stroke mechanism with the objective of developing a simplified model of the last step of the lightning stroke, and to examine the important characteristics of lightning necessary for studying and developing lightning protection methods. The primary objective in obtaining the flash incidence rate is to determine the number of flashes per year that terminate on transmission lines or on substations. To achieve breakdown of the gap in the laboratory, the voltage is steadily increased, while in the lightning stroke the voltage is constant and the “gap” is steadily decreased until breakdown occurs. In many countries, improved wide-range lightning location or detection systems have been installed. In 1995, the manufacturers of the time of arrival system, Atmospheric Research Systems, Inc., and the manufacturers of the direction-finding system, Lightning Location and Protection, joined together and are members of the Dynatech group of companies.