A current and vibration based detection system for lightning strikes on transmission towers

The current work proposes a method and circuitry for a lightning strike detection system with current and vibration detecting features. A Rogowski coil is used for current detection, which can be placed around a conductor where the lightning current is expected to flow. The method also provides means of ascertaining which tower is closest during the moment of the strike through use of a dual-axis accelerometer by making use of the vibration at the moment of the strike and correlating that with the detected current. A small scale prototype was built that performed adequately and was in line with the theoretical and simulation results.