Lightning protection

[jiris]

One realises how bad it can be only after seeing something like this:
https://www.facebook.com/ManShedOff...4C7vUcpnJfos-efpXIST2LAHnC0StbCAZ9MPDQqtkGJdI

Thanks for putting me on the right track . I did find it strange, but still took the title "Lightning striking the water" for its face value.

 

[William_H]

Question

Ships and planes regularly get hit by lightening but seem to not have the problems we have with the resulting damage. I am told that the ships and planes use a DC floating ground system i.e. where the structures are completely isolated from the electrical system.

Could this be why they suffer much less damage?

Planes do not use a floating DC ground system. They use the ali structure for negative ground return. Yes planes do get hit by lightning fortunately the ali structure conducts the current quite well. A GRP radome will always have ali strips embedded to conduct lightning. They also use a copper mesh over the outside of carbon fibre or GRP components. They have those hairy or finely pointed static discharge devices on wing and tail trailing edges on higher speed aircraft.
I have read that in USA a jet passenger plane can be hit once per year. Planes are more susceptible to lightning strike because they fly in the clouds where cloud to cloud discharge are far more likely than cloud to ground.
I wa involved in one inspection of a Boeing which had been struck. The only damage was a tiny burn mark above the cockpit where lightning entered. All electronics OK but compass was checked to make sure.
Interesting the old Fokker 28s had a switch for lighting in the cockpit called "storm light" This put all lights on full brightness to minimise pilot blindness in case of lightning nearby. Olewill just waffling (reminiscing)

 

[franksingleton]

A bit late, I know, but you might like to read http://weather.mailasail.com/Franks-Weather/Cape. Does anyone else have experience of the “bottle brush”?

XyGrib offers values of radar reflectivity forecasts as being more meaningful than CAPE. I can see the logic.