Experimental Evaluation of Lightning Protection Zone Used on Ship

Even in lightning protection of a complicated object, a Franklin rod is the most common and effective device used to protect the ship. Based on review of the previous study on EGM and recent theoretical exploration of lightning striking distance, an elliptical model of lightning protection zone is established by the Mississippi State University HV Lab. The protection zone is determined by the return stroke current, the Franklin rod height, and the polarity of the lightning stroke. According to the configuration of the elliptical model, laboratory experiments with a ship model are conducted.