NATURAL INTERFERENCE CONTROL TECHNIQUES. PART II: LIGHTNING SIMULATORS FOR AEROSPACE VEHICLE STUDIES AND ELECTROMAGNETIC EFFECTS,

Abstract : The design of a mobile lightning simulator of modular construction for full scale tests of aircraft and aerospace vehicle launching sites was undertaken. The modules may be used in series or parallel to simulate peak currents up to the order of 200 KA required to simulate the more severe lightning damage to aerospace vehicles. Voltages of the order of ten megavolts will also be available to obtain a better scale factor in lightning studies for determining regions of highest stroke contact probability and for developing diverter techniques. A working model of the simulator which demonstrates both the principles of operation and the feasibility and usefulness of such a unit has been constructed. A full-size wooden mockup of a section of one of the modules was also constructed to aid in design work. This mockup will be used for determining hardware configurations, voltage clearances and similar details. In addition, a feasibility prototype is being constructed on our research vessel to be tested as an upper section of an impulse generator already on the ship for studies of the configuration of parts required for the upper module. (Author)