431
EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS OF POSSIBLE CHARACTER AND
INTENSITY OF THUNDERCLOUDS AND LIGHTING DISCHARGES
AFFECTION ON RADIO NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT SITUATED INSIDE
AIRCRAFT NOSE RADOMES ON MODELS USING ARTIFICIAL
CHARGED AEROSOL CLOUDS
A.
G.
T
EMNIKOV
,
R
USSIA
,
L.
L.
C
HERNENSKY
,
R
USSIA
,
A.
V.
O
RLOV
,
R
USSIA
,
S.
S.
A
NTONENKO
,
R
USSIA
,
T.
K.
G
ERASTENOK
,
R
USSIA
Moscow Power Engineering Institute (Technical University), TemnikovAG@mpei.ru
Results of the experimental investigations of the
discharge formation in models of aircraft nose radomes
under an action of the artificial clouds of negatively
strongly charged water aerosol for the different variants
of its lightning protection are presented in a paper.
Metal spherical electrode and plane electrode of
rectangular and round forms have been used as radar
antenna model.
Two main sequences of the discharge formation in a
radome model and the corresponding forms of discharge
current impulses from an antenna model under nose
radome are found. Their characteristics significantly
depend on the charge value stored on the radome cover
surfaces.
Phenomenology of discharge development in the
gap “cloud of charged aerosol – model of the nose
radome with antenna model inside it” significantly
depends on the charged value that accumulates on the
radome cover surfaces. For the case of simultaneous
precipitation of charged particles on the internal and
external radome cover surfaces, very big charges could
be accumulated in radome.
For storage of extreme charges of hundreds of
µC/m
2
, intense surface discharges are formed and
powerful impulses of “reverse” discharge current on the
antenna model are observed. It was established that
formation of such negative discharge from antenna
model under radome which has the polarity of the
charged aerosol cloud and current amplitude and flowing
charge much more than for positive discharges from
electrode near cloud without radome is connected with
the storage of the charges on the internal and external
surfaces of radome models.
Value of these surface charges will be limited only
by the electric strength of the aircraft nose radome cover
and/or by the formation of spark discharges on their
surfaces. If external electric field inside radome will
quickly decrease because of discharge formation from
the charged cloud or, that more possible, due to the
discharge on the external surface of radome cover, the
resulting strength of electric field changes its direction in
the place where antenna radome is situated. As a result,
“reverse” discharges with have the same sign as charged
aerosol cloud (thundercloud) appear from antenna under
radome. They have current amplitudes up to some
hundreds of amperes and could destroy the radio
navigation equipment if the lightning discharge affection
of nose radome is absent.
Such powerful impulse of discharge current on
antenna model under radome is registered in 90 % cases
when radome model does not have lighting diverters, in
30-50 % cases when segmented lightning diverters are
imitated, and very rarely observed when radome is
protected with the bar lightning diverters.
For the last case two variant of discharge
development inside radome are possible: (1) discharge
formation inside radome is initiated by the discharge
between cloud and bar electrode on the external surface of
radome model and corresponded by the propagation of the
discharges on the external surface of radome; (2)
discharge formation inside radome “provokes” the
following development of discharges between cloud and
lightning diverter on the external surface of radome cover.
Impulse of “reverse” discharge current also forms
on the antenna model however it significantly weak on
its characteristics than the considered above powerful
current impulse. Such less powerful impulse of discharge
current on the antenna model under radome is registered
in 80 % cases when bar lightning diverters protects
radome. It is characteristic in 35 % cases when
segmented lightning diverters are imitated.
Thus, it was established that presence of the bar
lightning protectors on the radome surface significantly
decreases a probability of formation of powerful
discharges from the antenna inside it and discharges on
the external and internal surface of the radome model.
For such organization of radome lightning protection,
charge of less value will be accumulated on the radome
cover surfaces than in other considered variants of
aircraft nose radome lightning protection.
As a result, charge accumulated on radome surface
will play a fewer role in the formation discharge current
impulse on the antenna model under radome and on the
contrary discharge between cloud and lightning diverter
model will bring more sufficient influence to bear on
antenna.