Complete assessment of impact of lightning strikes on buried cables

Electric utilities are concerned about the possibility of damage to underground power distribution cables due to lightning strikes impacting the earth´s surface and terminating on the cable. Assessment of such occurrences is important in the design of suitable protection schemes and mitigating strategies. Existing models focus on only one of aspect of the problem and therefore do not provide a complete assessment. In this paper, a complete model is suggested by linking elements of existing models. The model provides information on current in and overvoltage on struck cables with soil characteristics and geometrical configuration as parameters.