Development of a surge simulation code VSTL REV based on the 3D FDTD method

The prediction of surge phenomena is required for the design of effective lightning protection methodologies. Traditionally, transmission-line-theory-based simulation techniques have been employed, but such simulation techniques based on the assumption of the transverse electromagnetic mode cannot rigorously treat surge phenomena in three-dimensional structures and grounding structures such as buildings and grounding grids. Recently, full-wave numerical approaches have been widely and successfully applied to such surge phenomena. Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI) has developed a surge simulation code, which is called VSTL REV (Virtual Surge Test Lab. Restructured and Extended Version), based on the three-dimensional finite difference time domain method, which is one of the numerical electromagnetic field computation methods used to solve Maxwell's equations. In this paper, we present an outline of VSTL REV and some examples of its application to the surge analysis of a building, a grounding grid, and an overhead distribution line.