Results of Full Scale Modeling of Electromagnetic Pulse Impact for Lightning Protection of Power Plants

This chapter summarizes the results of experimental modeling of lightning impacts that has been carried out several years on the problem of lightning protection of electric power objects, including power plants, primarily in order to increase the stability of their work. The main purpose of the research is to offer the testing facilities and testing schemes of lightning protection. A feature of the models proposed to the attention is the use of the energy of an explosive magnetic generator (EMG). In the first part of the chapter, the investigation connects with direct lightning current impact. For this purpose, a prototype of mobile testing complex on the basis of an explosive magnetic generator (MTC EMG) was developed. The results of MTC EMG field testing for loads with ohmic resistances of 2–10 Ω in the form of current and voltage pulses are presented. The results of an electromagnetic impulse impact in the near field of lightning were modeled experimentally in the second part of the chapter. As a result, the electrical field strength with a rising of voltage front about 100 ns were up to 500 kV/m, and about 0.2 T/μs of the magnetic induction increasing were obtained in the experiments. The paper provides estimates of the techno-economic analysis of the practical application of the development.