Lightning Induced Arcing and Protection of Aircraft

The lightning effects on aircraft have been a subject of active research since the early days of aviation. Lightning strikes on aircraft could jeopardize safety, and regulatory agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) imposes strict regulations and standards for safety and elimination of hazardous effects. Fundamental understanding of lightning related arcing mechanism and developing engineering technology to improve safety are an essential task for aviation industry. In this paper, we intend to perform system analysis as well as physics-based analysis for the lightning related arcing in aircraft. We discuss lightning analysis from a system point of view in Section 1. We then discuss the details of arcing physics in Section 2. We apply the analysis to fasteners on aircraft, which are essential to understanding the lightning strike hazard. We present lightning protection technology in detail in Sections 3 and 4 by reviewing the fastener technology. We conclude with a summary and future suggestions for aviation industry for enhancement of safety and quality of aircraft and lightning protection technology.