Simulation of Lightning Flash in Time of Arrival (TOA) Method by Using Three Broadband Antennas

Abstract

Various methods are used to locate cloud-to-ground lightning flash. The accuracy of the methods depends on the number of sensor stations, station topology, mathematical model adopted for the analyses, and type of measuring equipment. For a single station with the configuration of short baseline in a measuring system, the accuracy analysis is mostly based on the chosen mathematical equations (and all relative assumptions) which can be solved in either linear or nonlinear mode. This paper concentrates on the simulation of a lightning flash based on Time of Arrival (TOA) method by utilizing three broadband antennas. The accuracy of the TOA method is also evaluated in this work. A Mat lab based simulation of the measuring system is implemented to construct a randomly located lightning flash with its corresponding electromagnetic radiation. Then, suitable mathematical models used as measurement systems based on the TOA method to determine the azimuth and elevation angles.