Effects of Long Upward Connecting Leader Channel on Electromagnetic Fields for Lightning Striking to Tall Towers

Abstract

The effects of long upward connecting leader (UCL) channel on electromagnetic fields for lightning striking to tall towers are studied via lightning transmission-line return-stroke model. The current distributions along the lightning channel and the tower are derived, and the resultant lightning electromagnetic fields with various UCL lengths above tower are calculated at close and far distances. It can be found that the contribution of the various components of the electric and magnetic fields depends strongly on the distance to the observation point. Electric field has a shading effect showing that the field amplitude generated by lightning striking to tall towers is smaller than that to ground, and that this shading effect depends on the UCL length and the tower height. However, we cannot find such an effect for the magnetic field. The shading effect of the electric field increases with the increase of the junction height above tower, but disappears when the observation distance exceeds a critical distance. Modeled results are also compared with their measured counterparts associated with lightning striking to the 600 m tall Canton Tower. The proposed model can explain why the ratios of peaks of luminosity to magnetic field of the downward first stroke are considerably larger than those of the subsequent strokes as being due to the fact that the junction height above tower for first stroke is higher than that for subsequent stroke, whereas the downward return stroke speed of first stroke is smaller than that of subsequent stroke.