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.

An integrated illumination device and lightning detector for boats that is operable as a conventional navigation light and including a lighting detector that generates an output signal in response to the presence of lightning. In response to the presence of lightning and the generation of the output signal by the lightning detector, a visual signal or an audible signal or both is generated to warn and notify occupants of the boat of the presence of lightning.

An aircraft includes a fuselage, a main wing, and a flight controller. The main wing is attached to the fuselage and configured to generate lift that acts on the aircraft. The flight controller includes an electric field direction estimator, an attitude calculator, and an attitude controller. The electric field direction estimator is configured to estimate a direction of an electric field around the aircraft. The attitude calculator is configured to calculate a target airframe attitude that reduces a possibility of occurrence of lightning strike on the aircraft, on the basis of the direction of the electric field estimated by the electric field direction estimator. The attitude controller is configured to control an attitude of an airframe of the aircraft to cause the attitude of the airframe to be the target airframe attitude calculated by the attitude calculator.

System for reducing likelihood of an aircraft-induced lightning strike on an aircraft. The system includes a plurality of electric field sensors distributed on surfaces of the aircraft to monitor continuously the electrical environment to which the aircraft is subjected. A plurality of ion emission sources are distributed on selected aircraft surfaces, the ion emission sources adapted to emit either positive or negative ions. A computer runs an algorithm to control net charge level of the aircraft by commanding the emission of positive or negative ions from selected surfaces to retard inception of corresponding leader discharges.

A system for testing lightning pin injection Tests (indirect lightning effects) simultaneously on multiple pins of an equipment under test (EUT). A plurality of impedance-balancing elements which receive the source signal and generate multiple test input signals. Respective impedance-balancing elements are configured such that each of the test input signals meets test signal requirements defined in a test scenario. The multiple test input signals are output through the impedance-balancing elements, which serve to provide a balanced current at each individual corresponding pins of the EUT under test, when the test on the EUT begins.

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 present disclosure pertains to systems and methods for detecting lightning and using such information to implement appropriate control strategies in an electric power system. In one embodiment, a system may include a data acquisition subsystem configured to receive a plurality of representations of electrical conditions associated with at least a portion of the electric power system. The system may also include a traveling wave subsystem to identify an initial traveling wave in the electric power system and generated by lightning and identify at least one subsequent traveling wave in the electric power system and generated by lightning. A lightning analysis subsystem may perform an analysis of the initial traveling wave and the at least one subsequent traveling wave to determine a characteristic of the ionosphere based on the analysis and a lightning location. An adaptive control subsystem may adjust a control strategy based on the lightning location.

System for reducing likelihood of an aircraft-induced lightning strike on an aircraft. The system includes a plurality of electric field sensors distributed on surfaces of the aircraft to monitor continuously the electrical environment to which the aircraft is subjected. A plurality of ion emission sources are distributed on selected aircraft surfaces, the ion emission sources adapted to emit either positive or negative ions. A computer runs an algorithm to control net charge level of the aircraft by commanding the emission of positive or negative ions from selected surfaces to retard inception of corresponding leader discharges.

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.

An on-board system for evaluating the severity of a lightning strike, intended to be installed in the interior of an airplane and connected to an avionic system of the airplane. The system comprises four devices, a master device and three slave devices, each device comprising a magnetic-field sensor. The devices are placed pairwise symmetrically about a plane of symmetry of the airplane, vertically in line with the leading edge of the wing of the airplane and vertically in line with the trailing edge of the wing, respectively. The system allows an evaluation of the severity of a lightning strike to be obtained depending on the measured magnetic fields.