Rocket-triggered lightning test on 10 kV distribution line and analysis of lightning current waveform characteristics

In order to study the characteristics of current waveforms from lightning striking to distribution line, the first domestic rocket-triggered lightning test on 10 kV distribution line was carried out, and the test successfully triggered 26 flashes, including 20 flashes with return strokes (RSs), with a total number of 120 RSs, each flash containing an average of 6 RSs, and the maximum number of RSs of one lightning flash was up to 13. A typical lightning current waveform can be divided into three stages: the initial stage (IS), the return stroke (RS), and the M-component. The geometric mean of average current, transfer charge and duration of IS are 56. 2 A, 15. 0 C, and 267. 1 ms, respectively; the geometric mean of peak current, 10% - 90% rise time, 1ms transfer charge and interstroke interval of RS are 16. 4 kA, 0. 6 μs, 1. 1 C, and 41. 9 ms, respectively; the geometric mean of peak current, 10% - 90% rise time, and transfer charge of M-component are 0. 4 kA, 119. 8 μs, and 0. 08 C, respectively. The charge transferred by a IS was much larger than that transferred by a single RS, and even larger than the sum of the transfer charge of all RSs after IS. Each RS contains an average of 1. 5 M-components, and the charge transferred by the M-components in a lightning flash is about 11% of the charge transferred by the RSs. The lightning current waveform data reported are useful for the lightning protection design in power systems, especially in power distribution systems. © 2022 Editorial Department of Electric Machines and Control. All rights reserved.