Dependence of lightning rod efficacy on its geometric dimensions—a computer simulation

A numerical simulation is used to investigate the effect of rod dimensions on lightning attachment to the lightning rod. The effect is studied by considering a sequence of discharge processes, from a corona ignited in a slowly rising thundercloud electric field to the development of an upward leader in the electric field of an approaching downward leader. It is concluded that the efficacy of a lightning rod is almost independent of the rod radius in the range 0.05–5 cm. This is in agreement with measurements of the breakdown voltage in long laboratory rod-to-plane air gaps for various rod tip radii but is at variance with the conclusions reached by Moore et al (2000a Geophys. Res. Lett. 27 1487, 2000b J. Appl. Meteorol. 39 593, 2003 J. Appl. Meteorol. 42 984) from their observations under thunderstorm conditions.