Response of VLF insulators to lightning strokes

The response of very low frequency (VLF) insulators to lightning strokes is a complex phenomenon and not yet understood completely. This project is undertaken at Arizona State University (ASU) to understand recent failures of VLF insulators during lightning strokes at a US Navy site. An analytical model has been formulated to characterize the breakdown of bridged air gaps under lightning strokes. A Matlab/sup /spl reg// program has been written for determining volt-time characteristics of bridged air gaps under lightning strokes and the results have been verified with the available test data.