Three Dimensional Electric Dipole Model for Lightning-Aircraft Electrodynamics and its Application to Low Flying Aircraft

Abstract

In this paper we review a new electric charge based circuit model for studying aircraft-lightning electrodynamics and its application to an aircraft taking off or landing. As commercial and military aircraft continue to be subject to direct lightning flashes, there is a great need to characterize correctly the electrical currents and electric potential fluctuations on an aircraft to determine alternative design approaches to minimizing the severity of the lightning-aircraft dynamics. Moreover, with the increased severity of thunderstorms due to global warming, the need arises even more to predict and quantify electrical characteristics of the lightning-aircraft electrodynamics, which is normally not measurable, using a reliable electric model of the aircraft. Such a model is advanced here.