SPECTROGRAPHIC CHARACTERISATION OF HIGH-CURRENT ARCS FOR A LIGHTNING DIRECT-EFFECTS LABORATORY

An understanding of the interaction of high-current arcs with aerospace-grade aluminium and Carbon-Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) materials is desirable for a full evaluation of lightning protection schemes for aircraft components and assemblies. An important part of this assessment is a measure of the energy content of the lightning arc which is difficult to realise with traditional voltage and current transducers, particularly where direct connection of transducers to the test object is not possible. An analysis of the light emitted by a lightning current arc or localised sparking event may provide a more robust and reliable measure of the event energy, without the need for direct electrical measurement. Spectroscopic techniques also permit a quantification of the material emitted in…