Systems and methods are disclosed for forecasting lightning activity. Such a method may include obtaining radar reflectivity data from a radar detection device for multiple altitudes over an environmental region for a past period of time, and dividing the reflectivity data into multiple sub-regions within the region. The method may also include obtaining lightning discharge data for the environmental region from a lightning discharge detecting device for a past period of time, and establishing a customizable mathematical operator based on the radar reflectivity data and the lightning discharge data. The method may additionally include receiving forecast radar data for at least one of the sub-region for a future time period, and forecasting a probability of lightning strikes in at least one of the sub-regions based on applying the customizable mathematical operator to the forecast radar data.

An apparatus and method of detecting, tracking and displaying lightning activity is disclosed. A lightning stroke has associated therewith electric and magnetic field components characterized by maximum rise times and minimum power levels. The field signals comprise a plurality of sub pulses. An electric field antenna and a pair of magnetic field antennas are disposed to receive the field components associated with lightning activity. A processor which operates on the field signals received by antennas by sampling signals and storing samples as digital data in memories. In response to the control circuitry, the microprocessor determines the azimuth angles to the lightning activity based on the sampled field data and determines the range based on both the inverse of the magnetic field and the rise time of the electric field components. The sampled field data is grouped and assigned levels of intensity. The angle, range and intensity information is transmitted to a display where it can be displayed in a variety of formats. Where the apparatus is mounted in an aircraft, the speed of the aircraft and changes in heading are factors in the determination and display of the angles and range.

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.

A method is provided for locating a lightning strike at a wind turbine including the following steps, detecting a lightning strike, and deriving a location of the lightning strike based on a measurement of sound caused by the lightning strike. Further, a lightning detection system, a wind turbine, a wind farm as well as a computer program product and a computer readable medium are suggested for performing the method.

A system for identification and/or nowcasting of hail events with several measuring stations for detecting signals related to electromagnetic radiation in connection with lightning may comprise at least one time measuring unit for detecting the temporal course of the detected signals, and at least one analysis unit interconnected with the measuring stations and the time measuring unit. The analysis unit may comprise at least a first lightning signal analysis module for generation of a lightning signal analysis based on the detected signals, and a second lightning signal analysis module for identification of at least one lightning jump event based on the temporal course of the detected signals and the lightning signal analysis. The analysis unit may further comprise a nowcasting module for nowcasting concerning a hail event based on a lightning jump event. Furthermore, a method for identification and/or nowcasting of hail events is described.

A lightning measuring system (LMS) for measuring lightning current parameters in a down conductor (DC) in a wind turbine is disclosed, said lightning measuring system (LMS) comprisinga sensor arrangement (SEA) being arranged to measure on said down conductor (DC), a data collection unit (DCU), a connection arrangement (CA) electrically connecting said sensor arrangement (SEA) with said data collection unit (DCU), andan insulating arrangement (INS), wherein said sensor arrangement (SEA) and at least a part of said connection arrangement (CA) and/or said down conductor (DC) being enclosed in said insulating arrangement (INS) thereby defininga minimum insulation distance (MID) between said sensor arrangement (SEA) and said down conductor (DC), anda minimum surface distance (MSD) between an exposed part of said down conductor (DC) not being enclosed by said insulating arrangement (INS) and an exposed part of said connection arrangement (CA) not being enclosed by said insulating arrangement (INS), for which said insulating arrangement (INS) is effective to prevent insulation breakdown between said down conductor (DC) and said sensor arrangement (SEA) and to prevent surface flashover between said exposed part of said down conductor (DC) and said exposed part of said connection arrangement (CA).

The present invention proposes a lightning forecast method, comprising: identifying a Targeted Weather of SDA carrier (TWLC) based on radar reflectivity data; forecasting a future TWLC state based on the identified TWLC; building or updating an SDA model based on SDA observation data and detected TWLC state-related data; and calculating the probability of producing SDA in the forecasted future TWLC according to the SDA model.

The present invention proposes a lightning forecast method, comprising: identifying a Targeted Weather of SDA carrier (TWLC) based on radar reflectivity data; forecasting a future TWLC state based on the identified TWLC; building or updating an SDA model based on SDA observation data and detected TWLC state-related data; and calculating the probability of producing SDA in the forecasted future TWLC according to the SDA model.

In one embodiment a circuit arrangement for disturber detection comprises an input for receiving an input signal, the input being adapted to be coupled to an antenna, a receiver circuit coupled to the input which is configured to provide a demodulated signal as a function of the input signal, and a disturber rejection circuit which is coupled to an output of the receiver circuit. Therein the disturber rejection circuit is configured to provide a first signal indicative of a low energy disturber and/or a second signal indicative of a square envelope disturber, the first and second signals being provided as a function of the demodulated signal at respective outputs of the disturber rejection circuit. Furthermore, a lightning detector and a method for disturber detection are described.

A data communication network that includes a wired network operably configured to transfer data at a rate between 100 Mbps to 500 Mbps over ordinary wire of the type used for low power electric distribution. This may be accomplished through use of two or more communication nodes each, respectively, including an Ethernet port electrically coupled to a first external power source at a lower voltage and including an AC/DC low pass filtering circuit and a LISN circuit configuration and communicatively coupled to one another through a wired connection, forming a wired network operably configured to exchange data between one another.