Accurate electromagnetic field exposure characterisation due to mediated lightning strikes via an efficient finite‐difference time‐domain‐based human body model

A versatile and straightforward human body model, comprising simple geometric structures, is consistently developed in this study for the precise electromagnetic field exposure assessment owing to mediated lightning strikes. The proposed model incorporates a realistic set of frequency‐dependent media, approximated by a 4‐Cole‐Cole scheme, while every body part is considered to be occupied by the most dominant medium. For the reliable evaluation of all related electromagnetic quantities, the featured implementation is systematically discretised by means of an efficient finite‐difference time‐domain algorithm and all results are compared to those of a circuit‐based approach, simulated via an electronic circuit software. Moreover, to minimise comparison errors, the most critical human body dimensions are carefully optimised. Finally, the model, so constructed, is employed for the study of a side flash impact and the investigation of a lethal electric discharge possibility through the disruptive effect technique. The benefits of the proposed realisation in the successful prediction of mediated lightning effects are thoroughly validated in terms of various real‐world scenarios, which, among others, reveal that the impact on humans is inversely proportional to its distance from the stroked object.