Lightning Engineering: Physics, Computer-based Test-bed, Protection of Ground and Airborne Systems

This book gives a contemporary and comprehensive overview of the physics of lightning and protection systems, based on nearly 40 years of research, teaching, and consultancy work in this area. 

The book begins with an overview of the climatology of lightning and electric storms, as well as giving insight into lightning discharge from the preliminary discharges or processes such as corona, stepped leader, and subsequent return strokes, including the important submicrosecond threats and continuous current. The subsequent chapters present measures of lightning threat analysis to aircraft and electric power systems, protection measures to be used in high-voltage to low-voltage computer and communication systems, as well as to commercial and domestic buildings. The book discusses challenges posed by the submicrosecond lighting current changes and climate change to present and future high-voltage apparatus and structures (including carbon composite aircraft and new buildings) exposed to lightning strikes.

Including worked examples, illustrations, and detailed analysis, Lightening Engineering will be of interest to electrical engineers, as well as researchers and graduate students.

Prof. Paul R.P. Hoole was born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. After having his basic schooling in Jaffna, he earned all his degrees, first to postgraduate degrees, in the UK. He holds an M.Sc. degree in Electrical Engineering with a Mark of Distinction from the University of London and an M.Sc. degree in Plasma Science from the University of Oxford. His doctorate, the DPhil. degree, is from the University of Oxford. In his engineering career, he has spent time in Singapore, Papua New Guinea, USA, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia. Since the nineteen eighties, he has done extensive research in the field of lightning engineering, lightning interaction with aircraft, and lightning electromagnetics, and worked with the lightning consultancy group at the Culham Laboratory, Oxford. He has also consulted in the areas of lightning protection of the airport, telecommunication systems, and the electric power gird. His published research is in the areas of electromagnetic wireless communication/navigation antennas, electromagnetic brain technology and science, climate electromagnetics, and lightning-power systems and lightning-aircraft electrodynamics. He is married to Chrishanthy, a medical doctor. Beyond the time he devotes to engineering teaching and research, he and his wife engage with poor families and their school children in providing non-profit educational, medical, and personal development assistance.

Prof. Samuel R. H. Hoole, B.Sc. Eng. Hons Cey., M.Sc. with Mark of Distinction London, Ph.D. Carnegie Mellon, D.Sc. (Eng) London, has been a teacher and researcher in electrical engineering at several institutions in the USA, including Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Michigan State University, Drexel University, and Harvey Mudd College. For his accomplishments in electromagnetic product synthesis, the University of London awarded him its higher doctorate, the D.Sc. (Eng.) degree, in 1993, and the IEEE elevated him to the grade of Fellow in 1995. He is presently Life Fellow.He has been Vice Chancellor of University of Jaffna in Sri Lanka and as Member of the University Grants Commission there, and was responsible with six others for the regulation of the administration of all 15 Sri Lankan universities and their admissions and funding. He has contributed widely to the learned literature on Tamil studies and been a regular columnist in newspapers. He has been trained in Human Rights Research and Teaching at The René Cassin International Institute of Human Rights, Strasbourg, France, and has pioneered teaching human rights in the engineering curriculum.