Lightning and Power

Transmission Lines
EE --Term Paper
By ---

Outline of Presentation
The Thunderstorm
The Lightning Discharge (Stages)
Lightning Currents and Related

Parameters
Protection of Power-Transmission
Effect of Lightning on Power
Transmission systems

The Thunderstorm
Global Distribution of Thunderstorms
The Thundercloud
Point-Discharge Currents
The Lightning Discharge

Global Distribution of
Thunderstorms

The Thundercloud
Two main classes: heat storms and

frontal storms
Heat storm in tropics and mountain
areas
Frontal storms in temperate regions
Characterized by the electrical charge of
water droplets.

Point-Discharge Currents
Electrostatic field distribution about vertical
lightning conductor (could induce lightning
discharge)

The Thundercloud continued

The Lightning Discharge

(Stages)
Temporal Development of Flash to

Ground
Mature Stage
The Leader Stroke
The Dart Leader

The Lightning Discharge

(Stages) continued

Lightning Currents and

Related Parameters
Lightning Currents

Average lightning current amplitude is 25

kA (lowest 2kA, highest recorded 270 kA)

Frequency of Lightning Discharges (flash

density)

Varies from place to place

Measured in thunderstorm days and
lightning flash density
Lightning flash density for Greece = 3.7
(most recent data)

Protection of Power-Transmission
Systems
Reasons for Protection

Avoid power disruptions

Lightning protection methods

The Air Terminal (overhead conductors)

Tower Impedance (ability of tower to resist lightning)
The Buried Earth System (underground grid of
conductors)
Protective Leakage Paths-Pipe-Pipe Gaps (utilizes a gap
between conductors)
Underground Cables (Utilizes insulation of the earth)
Lightning Arresters (acts as over-voltage release valves)

Effect of Lightning on Power

Transmission systems
Lightning Location
Prediction of Lightning Activities

Lightning Location
Use of magnetic link locators, lightning

counters location within country-wide

networks
Recorded by Meteorological Services and
Power distribution companies over time
Empirical formula for calculation of lightning
flash density correlate well with actual flash
density obtain from magnetic counters (most
recent data obtained from Greece and
Japan)

Prediction of Lightning
Activities
Prediction based on a variety of methods

Modeling of lightning parameters

Prediction based on neural networks
Prediction based on fuzzy neural networks

All based on data obtained from lightning

location from meteorological and power

services.

Prediction based on Fuzzy

Neural Networks
New technique used in Japan
Gave better prediction of lighting strike

compared to neural networks

Limitations: only predicts lightning strike few
hours before the strike.

Conclusions

Thunderstorms occur at highest at the equatorial belt

and decreases towards the poles. Local thunderstorm
activity varies from year to year.
Lightning data is available from the meteorological
services of countries in the form of flash maps showing
isokeraunic lines, i.e. lines joining areas have the same
number of thunderstorm days.
The mechanism of light formation and discharge
involves electrical charging of water droplets within a
cloud leading to a dipole. The electrical field thus
produces causes a cloud to cloud lightning discharge or
a cloud to earth discharge.
The average lightning current of about 25 kA.

Conclusions continued
The earth flash density varies in different parts

of the world with the earth flash density

estimated at 1 to 2 flashes per 10 thunderstorm
days.
A variety of protection mechanism exist for the
lightning protection of transmission lines
including ground conductors(air terminals),
counterpoise , pipe-pipe gap, down-lead,
grounding systems, underground cables and
lightning arresters.

Conclusions continued
Traditional methods of lightning monitoring

include the use of magnetic link direction

finders and lightning counters.
Correlation between lightning data obtained
from meteorological lightning networks and
those obtained using standard formula show
good agreement.
More modern methods have focused on lighting
prediction using neural network and fuzzy
neural network techniques, but these only
provide prediction a couple of hours before the
lightning strike.

End of Presentation

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