Evaluation of lightning current and velocity profiles along lightning channel using measured magnetic flux density

Abstract

In this paper, an inverse procedure algorithm is proposed in the time domain to evaluate lightning return stroke currents along a lightning channel using measured magnetic flux density at an observation point while the current velocity along a lightning channel is assumed to be a height dependent variable. The proposed method considers all field components and it can evaluate the full shape of currents and the current velocity at different heights along a lightning channel. Moreover, a sample of measured magnetic flux density from a triggered lightning experiment is applied to the proposed algorithm and the evaluated currents and current velocities are validated using a measured channel base current and magnetic flux density at another observation point.