Calculation of Current Distribution in the Lightning Protective System of a Residential House

The lightning current distribution in the lightning protective system (LPS) of a residential house was experimentally studied in 2004 and 2005 at the International Center for Lightning Research and Testing. In this paper, the lightning current distribution in the LPS is calculated based on the distributed parameter circuit in the frequency domain. The electromagnetic coupling between the LPS and lightning channel is considered. The lightning channel and the connecting wire between the launch tower and the test house are modeled as vertical and horizontal dipoles above lossy ground. An improved discrete complex images method is presented to calculate the electromagnetic field of the lightning current. The lightning current distribution in the LPS is also calculated by means of the commercial software CDEGS, and the calculated currents in the LPS are compared with those measured.