Lightning-Induced Current Simulation Using RL Equivalent Circuit: Application to an Aircraft Subsystem Design

Full-wave EM simulation techniques such as finite-difference time domain (FDTD) are generally used for the calculation of lightning-induced current redistribution on complex 3-D geometries. For slow lightning waveforms, such techniques are not compatible with sensitivity analysis due to heavy preprocessing and calculation constraints. As an alternative, this paper presents an equivalent electric circuit method in which the 3-D geometry is described by conductive segments only on which resistance, self-inductance, and mutual inductance are calculated with analytical formulas. Here, this method, once known as “stick model” method, has been applied for the calculation of the lightning-induced currents on an A320 aircraft landing gear. The results have been compared with an FDTD simulation and with laboratory measurements. They demonstrate that the overall simulation cost is extremely reduced compared to FDTD while they maintain the same degree of accuracy. This paper shows how this equivalent circuit method is appropriate for design processes in which parametric calculations performed in a reasonable time are required.