Analytical Representation of Measured Lightning Currents and Its Application to Electromagnetic Field Estimation

Lightning discharge currents waveshapes and their derivatives with multiple peaks are measured in artificially triggered lightning experiments and at instrumented tall towers. Such waveshapes are represented in this paper by the N-peaked analytically extended function (NP-AEF) and Marquardt least-squares method is applied for the estimation of its nonlinear parameters. Typical channel-base currents of the first negative, subsequent negative strokes, and positive strokes, based on comprehensive measurements by Berger et al. at Monte San Salvatore in Switzerland, are approximated by NP-AEFs and used in the computation of lightning electromagnetic fields. A new attenuation factor introducing nonlinear current attenuation along the channel is applied within the modified transmission line model (MTLSIN). A lightning return stroke is assumed to have a vertical discharge channel at the perfectly conducting ground. In order to validate this model, calculated lightning electromagnetic fields are compared with the typical, as measured by Lin et al. at various distances from the discharges. Lightning currents and their derivatives measured at the tall towers are also approximated by NP-AEFs. For the measured artificially triggered lightning currents, MTLSIN is applied for the calculation of their electromagnetic fields. These are compared with the measured fields of specific lightning strokes, so as to results of other models.