Measurement and analysis of partial lightning currents in a head phantom

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Electrical Engineering
• Medical Physics

Background:

• Direct lightning strikes pose severe risks, including burns and fatalities.
• The precise biological and physical mechanisms of lightning strikes on the human head remain poorly understood.
• Establishing normative values for personal lightning protection requires accurate data on current distribution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design an experimental setup for measuring spatial and temporal current distribution during direct lightning strikes on head phantoms.
• To establish normative values for designing and testing personal lightning protection equipment.
• To investigate the mechanisms and effects of lightning strikes on the human head.

Main Methods:

• Development of agarose head phantoms simulating scalp, skull, and intracranial volumes.
• Galvanic contact via copper electrodes to measure current in each compartment.
• Application of simulated lightning signals using pulse generators.

Main Results:

• The scalp compartment received 80-90% of the current; brain and skull compartments received 6-13% and 3-6% respectively.
• In cases of flashover, 98-99% of current flowed through the discharge channel.
• Flashover build-up times were significantly longer (30-700 μs) than previously estimated.

Conclusions:

• Observed current patterns provide insights into potential damage regions within the human head.
• Flashover phenomenon identified as a potential mechanism for lightning strike survival.
• Measured current distributions and amplitudes can serve as a basis for developing individual lightning protection standards.