2014

International Conference on Lightning Protection (ICLP), Shanghai, China

Lightning Electromagnetic Fields and Their Induced Voltages on

Overhead Lines: the Effect of a Non-flat Lossy Ground
Javad Paknahad
Shahid Beheshti University
Tehran, Iran
javadpaknahad@gmail.com

Keyhan Sheshyekani
Shahid Beheshti University
Tehran, Iran
k sheshyekani@sbu.ac.ir
_

Mohsen Hamzeh
Shahid Beheshti University
Tehran, Iran
mo hamzeh@sbu.ac.ir
_

lightning electromagnetic fields above and inside the ground is

discussed in Section III. Section IV evaluates the effect of a
non-flat lossy ground on the lightning induced voltages on a
typical single conductor overhead line. Finally, general
conclusions are presented in Section V.

Abstract- This paper presents an accurate representation of a

non-flat lossy ground to

Farhad Rachidi
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
Lausanne, Switzerland
farhad.rachidi@epfl.ch

study its effect on the lightning

electromagnetic fields as well as the associated induced voltages

on overhead lines. The simulations are carried out for above- and
under-ground lightning electromagnetic fields as well as for the
induced voltages on a single conductor overhead line. It is shown
that all components of the lightning electromagnetic fields are
affected

by

non-flat

ground

configuration.

The

radial

component of the electric field increases as the steepness angle e

II.

increases from 0 to a certain value beyond which it starts

For the analysis, we have used the RF module of COM SOL

Multiphysics software [15]-[16] that allows the calculation of
electromagnetic fields and waves in 2-D and 3-D spaces along
with the traditional circuit-based modeling of passive and
active devices. All modeling formulations are based on
Maxwell's equations together with material laws for
propagation in various media. The RF module allows the
modeling of electromagnetic fields and waves in frequency
domain, time domain, or eigen frequency and mode analysis.
In particular, we use the electromagnetic wave (EMW) solver
of the RF-Module, which is based on the finite-element
solution of the weak-form representation of the frequency
domain wave equation of the magnetic vector potential [6]
and [7].
The space is divided into two media: air and ground, each
medium meshed by elements whose sizes are smaller than half
of the minimum wavelength which is inversely associated
with the maximum frequency fmax. The aim is to find the
induced voltages at an arbitrary point along the overhead line
conductor.

decreasing. Also the vertical component of the electric field

decreases as the steepness angle of the non-flat surface increases.
The azimuthal magnetic field shows a behavior similar to the
horizontal electric field. As for the lightning induced voltages, it
is shown that, the peak value and the rise time of the induced
voltages are markedly affected by the non-flat lossy ground.

Keywords- Electromagnetic fields, Finite element method,

lightning induced voltages, non-flat lossy ground.

I.

INTRODUCTION

The evaluation of lightning electromagnetic fields requires

accurate modeling of the soil taking into account (i) losses due
to the finite conductivity, (ii) multilayer soil structure (vertical
or horizontal stratification), (iii) soil dispersion (frequency
dependence of soil electrical parameters), and (iv) non-flat
configuration of the ground. The three first subjects have been
thoroughly discussed in the literature (see e.g., [1]-[14]). More
recently, the effect of non-flat lossy ground on the above
ground lightning electromagnetic fields and their induced
voltages on overhead lines has also been discussed in [12]
[14]. However, the effect of non-flat ground configuration on
the underground lightning electromagnetic fields has not yet
been considered.
Within this context, in this paper, we use a full-wave [mite
element based solution of Maxwell's equations for the
evaluation of lightning electromagnetic fields inside and above
a non-flat lossy ground. Moreover, the effect of the same
ground configuration on lightning induced voltages on
overhead lines is discussed. A practical example is the case in
which the lightning strikes the top of a mountain.
The paper is organized as follows. In Section II, the full
wave implementation of the considered problem is briefly
described. The effect of a non-flat lossy ground on the

978-1-4799-3544-4/14/$31.00 2014

IEEE

FULL WAVE FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

III.

THE EFFECT OF A NON-FLAT

LOSSY GROUND ON THE

LIGHTNING ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS

The geometry of the problem for calculating the lightning

electromagnetic fields is shown in Fig. 1. In this configuration,
the soil is characterized by conductivity and relative
permittivity of (crg=O.OOIS/m, crg=10). In this study, the
modified transmission line model with exponential decay
(MTLE) [17] and [18] is adopted for modeling the lightning
return stroke channel with a current decay constant of a =
8
2000 m and asswning a return stroke speed of v = 1.5x 10
m/s. As for the lightning channel-base current, we use a
waveshape typical of subsequent return strokes represented

591

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I
I

'P

i(z,t)

r :

ay

I
I

V.

p
<;>

__

w
-1200

a,p

-1800

Observation

-------------

200m

:H=IOm

., :

N
w -4S00

...,.

:dlm
I

-7000
ground

Fig. I. Geometry for the calculation of lightning electromagnetic fields inside

and above a non-flat ground.

<t

e:
J:

using a swn of two Heidler's functions. We present both

aboveground and underground horizontal and vertical
components of the electric field (i.e., En Ez) and the azimuthal
component of the magnetic field (i.e., Hrp) at different
horizontal distance from the channel base (i.e., r= 200 m and
300 m).
The calculations are done considering different steepnesses
for the mountain whose angle is characterized by e (see Fig.
1). At each horizontal distance, two observation points are
considered; the first one is located 10 m above the ground
surface, while the other is located I m under the ground
surface. Results associated with the above-ground observation
points at horizontal distances of r= 200 m and 300 m from the
channel base are shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, respectively. As it
can be seen from these figures, all the field components are
affected by the non-flat ground configuration. In fact, the
radial component of the electric field increases as e increases
from 0 to a certain value beyond which it starts decreasing.
Also the vertical component of the electric field decreases
with increasing steepness of the non-flat surface (Figs. 2b and
3b). The azimuthal magnetic field, as seen from Figs. 2c and
3c, shows a behavior similar to the horizontal electric field,
i.e., increases with increasing steepness of the non-flat surface
up to a certain value (which is B=60 or so in our case),
beyond which it follows a decreasing trend.
The same effect is also observed for the underground
electromagnetic fields at r= 200 m and 300 m far from the
channel base which are shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5,
respectively. In fact, both vertical and horizontal electric fields
increase as e increases from 0 to a certain value beyond which
the same components start decreasing with e increasing. This
is also the case for the azimuthal magnetic field which
increases as e increases from 0 to 75 and decreases for larger
values of e.

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Fig. 2. Different components of the lightning electromagnetic fields located at

10 m above the ground surface for
m. (a) Er, (b) Ez, (c) H<p.

r=200

-:-':--. -:-- :':'::-':-:;'-=-==

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-600

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Fig. 3. Different components of the lightning electromagnetic fields located at

10 m above the ground surface for
m. (a) Er, (b) Ez, (c) H,/>.

r=300

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-

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.......

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: O,(r,<p,z)

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(} /5
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(} 75

Air

r=25Om

Stratified ground

Fig. 6. Geometry for the calculation of the lightning induced voltages on the
overhead line due to a lightning strike on the top of a mountain.

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Fig. 7. Induced voltages on the overhead line shown in Fig. 6 due to a typical
subsequent return stroke at (a) line midpoint O2 and (b) at line termination 0,.

(al

10

IV.

THE EFFECT OF A NON-FLAT LOSSY GROUND ON

OVERHEAD LINE

In order to evaluate the effect of non-flat lossy ground on

the lightning-induced voltages on overhead lines, we consider
a lightning channel in the vicinity of a single-conductor
overhead line located above a lossy ground. The geometry of
the problem is illustrated in Fig. 6. The ground is
characterized by conductivity and relative permittivity of
(<Jg=O.OO 1Slm, Erg=lO). The line is a single-conductor, lOOO-m
long, lOom high, and is open ended at both sides. The
lightning channel is assumed to strike the top of a hill at r =
250 m from the line center and equidistant to the line ends.
Simulations are done for different steepness angles (B) .
Lightning induced voltages at the midpoint and the left
termination of the overhead line (i.e., O2 and Oa are shown in
Fig. 7. As it can be seen from Fig. 7, the waveshape, the peak
value and the rise time of the induced voltages are affected by
the non-flat ground configuration. Moreover, in the presence
of non-flat ground configuration, the induced voltages become
somehow oscillatory with mUltiple zero-crossings.

Time(/ls)

(} O
(} 30
(} 60

--

.........

(} /5
(} 45
(} 75

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(} 30
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--

\ ....

..
..

LiGHTNING INDUCED VOLT AGES ON

J:

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,/

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> -20
N

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------

.........

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...

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---

Time(/ls)

(} O
(} 30
(} 60

bD

bD

......

--

-50

Fig. 4. Different components of the lightning electromagnetic fields located at

depth of I m inside the ground for r=200 m. (a) Er, (b) Ez, (c) H<p.

-45

---

Time(/ls)

(} 30
(} 60

(} 45
(} 75

(el

10

Fig. 5. Different components of the lightning electromagnetic fields located at

depth of I m inside the ground for r=300 m. (a) Er, (b) Ez, (c) H,/>.

593

V.

Fields and Their Induced Voltages on Overhead Lines Considering the

Frequency-Dependence of Soil Electrical Parameters," iEEE Trans.
Electromagn. Compat., vol. 55, no. 6, pp. 1210-1219, Dec. 2013.

CONCLUSION

In this paper, we used the COMSOL Multiphysics for the

evaluation of lightning electromagnetic fields in the presence
of a non-flat lossy ground. The lightning electromagnetic
fields were obtained for two observation points one above the
ground and the other under the ground. From the simulations,
it was found that the radial component of the electric field
increases as the steepness angle e increases from 0 to a certain
value beyond which it starts decreasing. Also the vertical
component of the electric field decreases as the steepness
angle of the non-flat surface increases. The azimuthal
magnetic field shows a behavior similar to the horizontal
electric field. The peak value and the rise time of the induced
voltages on an overhead line are affected differently
depending on the steepness angle.

J. Paknahad, K. Sheshyekani, and F. Rachidi, "Lightning

Electromagnetic Fields and Their Induced Currents on Buried Cables.
Part 1: the Effect of an Ocean-Land Mixed Propagation Path," iEEE
Trans. Electromagn. Compat. vol. 56, no. 5, pp. 1137-1145, Oct. 2014.

[2]

J. Paknahad, K. Sheshyekani, and F. Rachidi, and M. Paolone

"Lightning Electromagnetic Fields and Their Induced Currents on
Buried Cables. Part II: the Effect of a Horizontally Stratified Ground,"
iEEE Trans. Electromagn. Compat. . vol. 56, no. 5, pp. 1146-1154, Oct.
2014.

K. Sheshyekani, and M. Akbari, "Evaluation of Lightning-Induced

Voltages on Multi-conductor Overhead Lines Located Above a Lossy
Dispersive Ground," iEEE Trans. Power Del., . vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 683690, Apr. 2014.

[8]

M. Akbari, K. Sheshyekani, and M. R. Alemi, "The effect of frequency

dependence of soil electrical parameters on the lightning performance of
grounding systems," iEEE Trans. Electromagn. Compat., vol. 55, no. 4,
pp. 739-746, Aug. 2013.

[9]

J. O. S. Paulino, C F. Barbosa, and W. C Boaventura, "Lightning

induced voltage on an aerial wire above two-layer ground," Proc. of the
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[10]

Q. Zhang, X. Tang, J. Gao, L. Zhang, D. Li, "The Influence of the

Horizontally Stratified Conducting Ground on the Lightning-Induced
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Trans.
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Compat.
DOl:
10.1109/TEMC2013.2284929.

[II] F. Delfino, R. Procopio, M. Rossi, and F. Rachidi "Influence of

frequency-dependent soil electrical parameters on the evaluation of
lightning electromagnetic fields in air and underground" J. Geophys.
Res., vol. 114, (DlII13) pp.I-12, 2009.

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