Title:

Modeling and Simulation

of Lightning Current

Submitted by
Group No. 13
Bakhtiar Khan (FA15-REE-007)
Sajid ul Haq (FA15-REE-012)
Ghulam Hafeez (FA15-REE - 030)
Abdul Wahab Khan (SP15-REE-046)

Contents
1.

Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 0

2.

Literature overview: ........................................................................................................... 0

3.

Classification of lightning strikes: ...................................................................................... 0

4.

3.1.

Lightning strikes on a line ........................................................................................... 1

3.2.

Direct lightning strikes (on phase conductors) ............................................................ 2

3.3.

Indirect lightning strikes (on earth wires or towers) ................................................... 3

Harmonics ........................................................................................................................... 4
4.1.

Current Harmonics ...................................................................................................... 4

4.2.

Voltage harmonic: ....................................................................................................... 5

5.

Equivalent Simulink Model ................................................................................................ 5

6.

Simulation Results .............................................................................................................. 7

7.

6.1.

Harmonics in Lightning Impulse................................................................................. 8

6.2.

Effects of lightning ...................................................................................................... 8

References .......................................................................................................................... 8

1. Introduction
Lightning has always been a source of disturbances for users of electricity, yet the fairly
recent and growing demand for quality electrical systems (reliability, availability, continuity
of service, etc.) must be taken into account, as well as the permanent necessity to minimize
the costs of the production and the use of electrical power. It may be said that in the efforts to
improve the above factors, lightning has come to constitute an obstacle. That explains why it
is now one of the major preoccupations of everyone in the sector, whether they are
distributors (EDF, private companies), manufacturers (Merlin Gerin, etc.), designers (design
offices, engineering firms) or installers.
Lightning can affect electrical installations in several manners:
1) All power and voltage levels are concerned, ranging from EHV transmission systems to
integrated circuits and including LV power supplies and data transmission circuits,
2) It can because transient disturbances to the continuity of service, thereby reducing the
quality of the power supply system,
3) It can damage equipment and result in long interruptions in installation operation,
4) It can be dangerous for life (pace voltage, increased potential of exposed
5)

Conductive parts and earthing circuits)

2. Literature overview:
Starting in the 1970's, major international research programs were initiated, notably by EDF
in France, and today, sufficient knowledge on lightning mechanisms is available. A study on
the effects of lightning comprises two steps, but first requires depth knowledge of the
phenomenon. The two steps are:
1) Anticipate what can happen in a given installation and recommend improvements. This is
possible using dedicated software, validated by experience that simulates installation
behavior.
2) Carry out engineering and cost study on insulation coordination, taking not account the
cost of installations, maintenance and disruptions in operation.

3. Classification of lightning strikes:

A lightning strike between a cloud and the earth comprises two phases, first the development
of a predischarge or leader (an ionized channel), which provokes the lightning strike itself, a

discharge of a visible, high-current arc. Two main criteria distinguish lightning strikes, their
direction and their polarity:
1) Descending lightning strikes, in which the leader runs from the cloud to the earth
(relatively flat terrain),
2) Ascending lightning strikes, in which the leader runs from the earth to the cloud
(mountainous terrain),
3) Negative lightning strikes when the negatively charged part of the cloud discharges (80 %
of lightning strikes under temperate climates),
4) Positive lightning strikes when the positively charged part of the cloud discharges.

3.1. Lightning strikes on a line

[1]On the basis of the electro-geometrical model, the frequency of lightning strikes can be
calculated using the capture range of the considered object. Figure 5 indicates, for a density
N=4 (4 lightning strikes per km2 and per year and a corresponding keraunic level of
approximately 30), the frequency of lightning strikes (number of strikes per year) for a
vertical rod with a height h and for a horizontal conductor with a length of 100 km and a
height h. The general empirical formula for calculating lightning strikes (total number per
year) on a line (towers, phase and earth wires) is the following

l L
N
NL NK 1
30 70 100
Where:
NK

= keraunic level,

NL

= strikes on a line,

N1

= strikes on the highest horizontal

Conductor (figure 1),

L

= length of the line in kilometers,

= width of the line in meters (distance between outside conductors),

=influence coefficient taking into account the influence of towers and earth wires (figure 2)

This formula takes into account:

1) Lightning strikes on a conductor ( N L ),
2) Presence of outside conductors ( l ),
3) Distribution between the tower and the line depending on the structure of the line ( ),
4) Length of the line ( L ):

5) For insulation coordination calculations, L 1.5 km is generally selected because over

greater
6) Distances, the effect of the lightning strike becomes negligible,
7) For continuity of service calculations, the important factor is the total length of the line
exposed to strikes, therefore to interruptions in service.

3.2. Direct lightning strikes (on phase conductors)

When lightning hits a phase conductor of a line, the total current i(t) at the point of impact is
split in two and the two halves are propagated along the conductor in opposite directions. The
wave impedance Z of the conductor is 300 to 500 W (figure 3). The result is an associated
voltage wave:

u (t ) Z

i (t )
2

At the towers, the voltage increases and propagates:

1) As a full impulse, reaching its maximum value

U max Z

I max
2

When

Z
Where

I max
Ua
2

U a = impulse flashover voltage of the insulators string or of any protective spark-gap

devices that may be present. This voltage is roughly

Figure 1 Lightning Frequency for a density N=4 lightning strikes per Km2 and per year

Figure 2 Distribution of strikes between towers and wires

Figure 3 lightning strikes on a phase conductor

proportional to the distance through air ( 550 kV / m) and must take into account a delay in
flashover for very steep fronts n as a chopped impulse, with a voltage limited by flashover,
when the lightning current above which flashover, i.e. interruption in service, occurs is called
the critical current

IC : IC

2U a
Z

The magnitude of Ic is in the region of 5.5 kA for 225 kV lines, 8.5 kA for 400 kV lines and
19 kA for 750 kV lines. The corresponding frequencies of occurrence are respectively 95 %,
90%and 60 % Note that for 20 kV lines, the Ic value is practically 0 and flashover always
occurs.

3.3. Indirect lightning strikes (on earth wires or towers)

The flow of the lightning current to earth causes an increase in the potential of the metal
structures. The top of the tower reaches a potential that depends on its inductance L and the
resistance of the earth R to the impulse.

u(t ) Ri(t ) L

di(t )
dt

This voltage may reach the impulse flashover voltage of the insulators, in which case back
flashover occurs. A part of the current is propagated along the affected phase conductor(s)
toward users. This current is in general greater than that of a direct lightning strike.

On extra high-voltage transmission systems, back-flashover is unlikely due to the

insulation level of the insulators. Earth wires are therefore a solution in that they limit the
number of interruptions in service. However, below 90 kV, back-flashover and the
resulting interruption in service occur even when earth resistance values are low (< 15 W),
thus reducing the usefulness of earth wires.

Figure 4 lightning strikes on an earth wire

4. Harmonics
4.1. Current Harmonics
In a normal alternating current power system, the current varies sinusoidal at a specific
frequency, usually 50 or 60 hertz. When a linear electrical load is connected to the system, it
draws a sinusoidal current at the same frequency as the voltage (though usually not
in phase with the voltage).
Current harmonics are caused by non-linear loads. When a non-linear load, such as a rectifier,
is connected to the system, it draws a current that is not necessarily sinusoidal. The current
waveform can become quite complex, depending on the type of load and its interaction with
other components of the system. Regardless of how complex the current waveform becomes,
as described through Fourier series analysis, it is possible to decompose it into a series of
simple sinusoids, which start at the power system fundamental frequency and occur at integer
multiples of the fundamental frequency. Further examples of non-linear loads include
common office equipment such as computers and printers, Fluorescent lighting, battery
chargers and also variable-speed drives.

4.2. Voltage harmonic:

Voltage harmonics are mostly caused by current harmonics. The voltage provided by the
voltage source will be distorted by current harmonics due to source impedance. If the source
impedance of the voltage source is small, current harmonics will cause only small voltage
harmonics.

5. Equivalent Simulink Model

[2]The lightning impulse model developed in Simulink is shown in Figure 5. It is used to
simulate Impulsive transient caused by lightning near the transmission line. The model
consists of 0.4 KV, 1 MVA, 50 Hz three-phase source block fed to a 10 kW resistive and 10
kvar inductive load. There are instantaneous waveform scopes located at 0.4 kV buses for
measurement. The lightning block is connected to the feeder line to induce impulsive
transient. Since there is no lightning block available in the MATLAB/Simulink block set
library, it can be built by using existing Simulink blocks.

Figure 5 Lightning impulsive transient model

The lightning block subsystem is shown in Figure 6. A controlled voltage source with
resistive and inductive network is used to couple the generated lightning impulse to a given
phase of the power system line. For a three-phase system, three sets of controlled voltage
source, resistive and inductive networks are required. The lightning impulse that is fed to the
voltage controlled source input is computed using Equation 1, where A is the impulse
magnitude, is the damping factor, t1 is the time when the impulse starts, t is the time
function, and u is the impulse rise step function.

The lightning impulse model can be implemented using MATLAB Function block, ramp
block,
Constant block, and step function block as shown in Figure 6. The ramp block is used as time
Function t, constant block for impulse magnitude A and impulse start time t1, and lastly step
Function block u for step rising. Figure 7 shows how Equation 1 is coded in the MATLAB
Function block.

Figure 6 Lightning block subsystem.

The standard lightning impulse characteristic is 1.2/50 s, where the impulse rises to a peak
of 1.2 s and decay to 50% at 50 s time as defined by IEEE 1159.1 2009 and IEEE C6241.2 2002 Standards. Figure 8 shows the 1.2/50 s lightning impulse waveform model
computed with damping factor of alpha = 14,000 in the MATLAB function block. The

Figure 7 Lightning impulse equation in MATLAB function block.

6. Simulation Results
Waveform is captured using the scope sampled at 1 MHz, which yields 1 s per sample. At
sample 10,000, which is 0.01 second the impulse rise to the peak magnitude of 1, and at
10,050 sample, which is 50 s later, the impulse magnitude decays to 0.5036. This validates
that the model is closely approximate to the 1.2/50 s lightning impulse characteristic defined
by the standard.

Figure 8 1.2/50 s lightning impulsive waveform

A 0.04 second simulation time is set and ode23tb solver is selected to run the simulation. The
impulse magnitude is set at 1 kV, begins at 0.012 second, and the coupling network is set at
10 and 1H. Figure 9 shows the simulated impulsive transient waveform for all three phase.
The coupling network impedance determines how close the lightning discharge is to the
transmission line, which in turn determines the impulsive transient magnitude induced in the
waveform. The lower the coupling network impedance, the closer the lightning to the
transmission line.

Figure 9 Impulse transient caused by lightning near 0.4kV transmission line.

6.1. Harmonics in Lightning Impulse

The effects of lightning were studied for different cases and it is found through research and
simulations that harmonics involved in lightning are generally even and are 4th harmonics.

6.2. Effects of lightning

This section discusses the main effects, both direct and indirect, of the propagation of
lightning currents. Note that even if the current is transmitted by the high-voltage lines, it can
affect all electrical circuits (conducted and radiated disturbances) at all voltage levels. The
effects can be:
1) Thermal (welding of parts, fire, explosions).
2) Mechanical, due to the electrodynamics forces exerted on nearby parallel conductors.
3) Dielectric shock, following increases in potential during wave propagation through the
impedance of the conductors.
4) Insulation breakdown following flashover of a phase insulator, resulting in a follow-on
current flowing to earth at power frequency.
5) Increase in earth potential. Potentials commonly reach several hundred kV at the earthing
electrodes of the concerned HV equipment. The relationship describing the potential as a
function of the distance to the earthing connector is approximately hyperbolic, resulting
in very high potentials and associated gradients near the earthing electrode and even at
distances of several tens of meters.
6) High-frequency electromagnetic interference (very wide spectrum), including radiated
interference, induction and circuit coupling.
7) Electrochemical, acoustic and physiological. All the above phenomena can cause:
8) Damage to equipment, either violent, e-g dielectric breakdowns due to overvoltages, or
in the form of premature ageing due to nondestructive, but repeated stresses,
9) Malfunctions in installations due in particular to interference in control/ monitoring and
communication equipment connected to low-current circuits.
10) Reduced continuity of service due to interruptions that may be long (damage to
equipment) or short (malfunctions in network automatic control systems),
11) Dangerous situations for people or animals, in particular due to pace voltages which may
result in electrical shock or even electrocutions.

7. References
[1]
[2]

Lightning and HV electrical Installations n 168, Benot de Metz-Noblat

A Comprehensive Modeling and Simulation of Power Quality Disturbances Using MATLAB/SIMULINK, Rodney H.G. Tan and
Vigna K. Ramachandaramurthy