High Current Tests over Conductive Fabrics

Lightning, as a powerful natural phenomenon, is dangerous for living beings, equipment, structures, and buildings. The protection principle against lightning currents is to divert and conduct them safely into ground. Therefore, materials and components of lightning protection systems (LPS) must be able to bear lightning currents on the order of tens of kiloamperes. On the search of light materials for LPS, we performed several laboratory tests with high-current lightning-type impulses over some different types of commercial conductive fabrics. The samples used as object under test (OUT) were pieces of 10 cm × 10 cm from four different types of conductive fabrics, including rip-stop, plain-weave and non-woven commercial ones. The OUTs were subject to four 4/10 μs impulsive currents up to 20 kA generated by an Impulse Current Generator. Were taken images of before and after tests and both current and voltage on the OUTs were recorded. Moreover, Scanning Electron Microscope inspections were performed after the tests, to understand some particular patterns presented on the fabric surfaces. A rip-stop type of conductive textile looks that withstands better the four impulses applied. The results of carried out tests suggest that is possible to use some conductive fabrics as part of a LPS, particularly in lightweight and portable applications required in outdoor conditions, such as in the cases of mobile shelters and tents.