Lightning channel's influence on currents and electromagnetic fields in a building struck by lightning

A procedure is presented for the analysis of the electromagnetic field inside a structure which receives a direct lightning stroke. The lightning protection system is schematized as an equivalent wire model. The electromagnetic field inside the structure is computed by means of a digital computation code based upon the moments method in the framework of the thin-wire approximation. The present work aims at the characterization of the influence of the field radiated by the lightning channel, on the electromagnetic field inside the building, which is subject to a direct stroke. The lightning channel is simulated by means of a rectilinear vertical antenna having a suitable height. The results of the analysis indicate that the lightning channel has a significant effect.<>