Lightning physics and lightning protection
Summer term

Lightning physics and lightning protection

Lecturer: Dr.-Ing. M. Hannig

Contact person: Tobias Müller M.Sc.

The lecture will be taught in german language. Up to date information is available on the german webpage and in moodle.

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Informations on the lecture:

  • Language: German
  • Requirements: recommended complete Bachelor ETiT or Wi-ETiT
  • Max. participants: 32
  • Credit points: 2 SWS (3 CP)
  • Room: digitally via Zoom
  • Time: weekly (Fr. 13:30 Uhr – 15:10 Uhr)
  • Start: 14.04.2023
  • Registration: in TUCaN 18-kc-2030-vl Blitzphysik und Blitzschutz
  • Exam: written (120 min.) – or oral, depending on registration numbers
  • Further informations can be found in moodle.

• Introduction

• Thunderstorms and Cloadclassification, formation and electrification

• Lightning, terminology, types, charge transfer, typical parameters

• Streamer- leader process, inception and development in large gaps

• Electric and magnetic fields in vicinity of lightning discharge

• Return stroke models, charge distributions and neutralization

• The Finite-Difference Time Domain Method for solving Maxwell's equations

• Lightning location, the technical use of field information

• Lightning effects in the middle and upper atmosphere

• Lightning hazard and deleterious effects

• Lightning protection and related threats, historical overview, standards and present lightning protection concepts

• Outer lightning protection, Lightning rods, down conductors, grounding systems, potential bonding and separation distances

• Inner lightning protection, surge protection devices, installation, test standards

• Lightning protection on transmission lines, faults and effects, calculation of outage rates and opportunities of improvement

• Lightning and surge protection for wind turbines

  • Blitz und Blitzschutz, F. Heidler, K. Stimper,
    ISBN 978-3-8007-2974-6
  • Handbuch für Blitzschutz und Erdung, P. Hasse, J. Wiesinger, W. Zischank,
    ISBN 978-3-7905-0657-0
  • Blitzschutzanlagen: Erlauterungen zu DIN 57 185/VDE 0185, VDE-Verlag,
    ISBN 978-3-8007-1303-9
  • Lightning, Physics and Effects, V.A. Rakov, M.A. Uman,
    ISBN 978-0-521-03541-5
  • Lightning Physics and Lightning Protection, E.M. Bazelyan, Y.P. Raizer,
    ISBN 978-0-750-30477-1
  • Electromagnetic Computation Methods for Lightning Surge Protection Studies, Y. Baba, V.A. Rakov,
    ISBN 978-1-118-27563-4
  • Lightning Electromagentics, V. Cooray,
    ISBN 978-1-84919-215-6
  • Lightning: Principles, Instruments and Application, H.D. Betz, U. Schumann, P. Laroche,
    ISBN 978-1-4020-9078-3

The examination is a written exam (duration: 120 min). If it is foreseeable that less than 10 students will register, the examination will be oral (duration: 30 min). The type of examination will be announced at the beginning of the course.