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Take a look at the video on this webpage and you’ll see why we’re studying the effect of lightning strikes on aircraft. The video is of a metallic aircraft being struck by lightning. I attended a briefing presented by the HIRF (High Intensity Radiated Fields) researchers at Langley Research Center (LaRC) where they detailed their work in this area, particularly studying the interactions between lightning and composite aircraft.
As you probably know, traditional aircraft act as Faraday cages when struck by lightning, which means that the charge stays on the exterior of the aircraft. However, as more aircraft are built using composite materials, we will need to understand the direct and indirect effects of lightning on those aircraft. The researchers at LaRC are studying the hazards of lightning on composite aircraft. Some of the issues include the fact that magnetic flux can penetrate avionics wiring, and that lightning damage is often more severe than tests would predict (see this presentationfor the full discussion). Magnetic flux can penetrate composite aircraft more easily than metallic aircraft, inducing voltage and current on avionics wiring.
One of the key interests in this part of the IVHM project is to understand and quantify nature of the damage that occurs between lightning, composites, and electronics that are encased in composite materials similar to those that will be found on future aircraft. This work will involve multiple NASA Centers and potentially partners in industry and academia.
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