Described herein is a lightning detection sensor. The lightning detection sensor comprises a sensing element that detects radio-frequency (RF) signals relating to lightning activity, a circuit that receives the detected RF signals from the sensing element and amplifies the RF signals for output to a digital signal processing device, and a reference element coupled to the circuit. The reference element is connected to an antenna ground that is isolated from a power ground, and the reference element and the antenna ground are not connected to an external ground plane.

The invention describes a method of monitoring of increased risk of lightning on the basis of information about the increase of electric charge of water droplets, which are obtained by measuring the characteristics of scattered EM radiation. The change of these characteristics is related to the electric charge, which the droplets acquire. In order to normalize the optical characteristics as well as the concentration of droplets it is necessary that the measurements are carried out at two suitably selected wavelengths. The wavelengths can be combined, allowing the use of two or more wavelengths.

The invention relates to a method for sensing lightning-current parameters at installations comprising a plurality of capturing devices and lightning-current diversion paths, in particular for exposed and/or tall buildings, including wind turbines, by using a plurality of sensors on the lightning-current diversion paths to identify a lightning-current event, and comprising subsequent evaluation of the lightning-current event and the effect of the lightning-current event on the particular installation. According to the invention, a lightning-current detection sensor is formed on each of the capturing devices or each lightning-current diversion path, which lightning-current detection sensor provides a yes/no statement concerning a lightning-current event with respect to the particular capturing device or the particular lightning-current diversion path. Furthermore, at least one lightning-current measurement sensor is provided at a central point of the merging of the lightning-current diversion paths toward the ground, which at least one lightning-current measurement sensor detects both surge currents having a duration of less than 5 ms and long-term currents having a duration of more than 5 ms, wherein furthermore the magnitude of the charge of the particular long-term current that has occurred is determined and is used to determine possible effects on the installation.

The lightning estimation apparatus includes a first acquisition unit, a second acquisition unit and a lightning analysis unit. The first acquisition unit acquires, from a radar apparatus, radar analysis data including a characteristic detection region obtained by analyzing a characteristic region of a meteorological phenomenon observed in a predetermined cycle. The second acquisition unit acquires lightning data including an observation result of a lightning strike point. The lightning analysis unit analyzes a spatial correlation between the characteristic detection region and the lightning strike point using integrated data in which the radar analysis data and the lightning data are associated in synchronization with each other.

Systems and methods are disclosed to detect cloud-to-ground (CG) strokes that include and/or are followed by continuing current (CC). For example, earth-based lightning data may be generated for one or more lightning pulses detected in an environmental space using multiple earth-based lightning detection sensors. Space-based lightning data may be received for one or more optical signals detected in the environmental space using one or more space-based lightning detection sensors. It may be determined from the earth-based and space-based lightning data whether a lightning pulse is a CG stroke that includes or is followed by CC. Charge transfer of a CG stroke with CC may be obtained from measurements of electromagnetic fields by an array of electromagnetic field sensors to generate training data. A machine learning model may be trained to relate space-based and/or earth-based lightning data to charge transfer where there is no proximate array of electromagnetic field sensors.

Example methods and systems described herein relate to determining average arrival time of a radio wave emitted by a lightning discharge and/or determining the lobe and/or polarity of the radio wave. The determination of the average arrival time may take a weighted average of arrival times of peaks of the radio wave. The determination of the lobe and/or polarity may depend on an estimated propagation distance, a propagation path profile, and one or more waveform features.

A device comprises a circuit board, a Rogowski coil on the circuit board, persistent data storage on the circuit board, and a control circuit on the circuit board for collecting values representing current sensed by the coil, and storing the values in the persistent memory.

A mobile card reader can be configured to connect to an input module of a mobile device. The mobile card reader can scan a magnetic stripe card from a structure exposed to lightning strikes in order to output a lightning-indicator signal to the input module. The lightning-indicator signal can be analyzed to determine a magnitude of a lightning strike to which the magnetic stripe card and the structure have been exposed.

Systems and methods are disclosed to detect cloud-to-ground (CG) strokes that include or are followed by continuing current. As an example, earth-based lightning data may be generated for one or more lightning pulses detected in an environmental space using multiple earth-based lightning detection sensors. Space-based lightning data may be received for one or more optical signals detected in the environmental space using one or more space-based lightning detection sensors. It may be determined whether one or more lightning pulses is a CG stroke based on the earth-based lightning data. In response to determining that a given one of the one or more lightning pulses is a CG stroke, it may be determined whether the CG stroke includes or is followed by continuing current based on the space-based lightning data.

There is provided an LDE testing system. The system has a test chamber, a test article, and a capacitor to inject current into the test article, to create a spark, emitting a spark spectral signature, and having a spark light intensity. The system has a digitally-controlled reference light source operable to emit a reference light source spectral signature simulating an observed spark spectral signature of sparking in tested test articles, and having a reference light source light intensity equivalent to an observed spark light intensity. The system has a camera to capture an image of the spark spectral signature, spark light intensity, reference light source spectral signature, and reference light source light intensity, a controller to digitally control the digitally-controlled reference light source, and a computer system to receive the image from the camera, and determine a passing or failing result of an LDE testing criteria for the test article.