Evolution simulation of lightning discharge based on a magnetohydrodynamics method

Abstract

In order to solve the load problem for aircraft lightning strikes, lightning channel evolution is simulated under the key physical parameters for aircraft lightning current component C. A numerical model of the discharge channel is established, based on magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and performed by FLUENT software. With the aid of user-defined functions and a userdefined scalar, the Lorentz force, Joule heating and material parameters of an air thermal plasma are added. A three-dimensional lightning arc channel is simulated and the arc evolution in space is obtained. The results show that the temperature distribution of the lightning channel is symmetrical and that the hottest region occurs at the center of the lightning channel. The distributions of potential and current density are obtained, showing that the difference in electric potential or energy between two points tends to make the arc channel develop downwards. The arc channel comes into expansion on the anode surface due to stagnation of the thermal plasma and there exists impingement on the copper plate when the arc channel comes into contact with the anode plate.

Coupled Thermal-Mechanical Progressive Damage Model with Strain and Heating Rate Effects for Lightning Strike Damage Assessment

“…[1,[3][4][5][6][7]. Research is on-going to model the plasma developed during a strike using Finite element or CFD simulations and the resulting loading to the specimen [8,9,[18][19][20][21][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]. The majority of simulation authors have modelled specimen behaviour only and assumed a surface load, employing FE models to characterise the thermal damage [8,10,11,14,16,20] or damage as a result of pressure loading [11][12][13].…”

Sequential finite element modelling of lightning arc plasma and composite specimen thermal-electric damage

“…Lightning strike simulations have been predominantly focussed on modelling the damage caused by a strike using FE software such as ABAQUS [24]. Recently, progress has been made to accurately model the thermal plasma associated with simulated lightning strike testing [5], [18]- [20]. Typically lightning strike plasma simulations are based on multiphysics Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) representations and have developed from the research conducted on arc welding [25]- [29].…”

“…Abdelal and Murphy [5] followed Chemartin et al [19] presenting a solution for a Waveform B lightning strike test condition. More recently two works have proposed models for Waveforms A and C respectively [18], [20].…”

“…Chemartin et al [19] used a 3D approach but only briefly described the solution procedure, physical properties represented and the mesh design. Both Chen et al [18] and Wang et al [20] used a 3D approach within CFD plasma models using ANSYS Fluent while Abdelal and Murphy [5] used a FE approach and a 2D-axisymmetric modelling strategy.…”

“…Computational modelling has dominated lightning strike research over recent years with authors typically modelling electrical, thermal and mechanical loads separately [2], [12]- [17]. However, progress has also been made in terms of modelling the thermal plasma associated with a simulated strike, taking into account combined multiphysics effects [5], [18]- [20]. Modelling of the plasma can encompass all the key physics mentioned previously, however requires a highly complex procedure within a multiphysics simulation and results in high computational expense with recent works suggesting upwards of seven days despite only being modelled in 2D axisymmetric form [5].…”