A 3D model to compute lightning and HIRF coupling effects on avionic equipment of an aircraft

This paper describes the 3D FDTD model of an aircraft developed to compute the lightning and HIRF (High Intentity Radiated Fields) coupling effects on avionic equipment and all the wire harness associated. This virtual prototype aims at assisting the aircraft manufacturer during the lightning and HIRF certification processes. The model presented here permits to cover a frequency range from lightning spectrum to the low frequency HIRF domain, i.e. 0 to 100 MHz. Moreover, the entire aircraft, including the frame, the skin, the wire harness and the equipment are taken into account in only one model. Results obtained are compared to measurements on a real aircraft.