Indirect Lightning Effects Testing

During normal operation of commercial and/or military aircraft, an in-flight lightning strike to the fuselage may occur. Some aircraft lightning events are known as "single-stroke" in nature, meaning that the strike occurs once, for a short, almost instantaneous time period, with no re-strikes. Some aircraft lightning strikes include multiple "return strokes" or multiple "re-strikes." As the extreme electric current from the lightning strike flows through the aircraft, frequency resonances in the aircraft chassis and cable harnesses can cause transient, high currents and/or voltages of a "multiple-stroke" and/or "multiple-burst" nature to appear on the Avionics wiring.

To assist manufacturers in meeting necessary lightning requirements, TÜV SÜD America provides indirect lightning effects testing, which is especially critical in the Avionics and Military fields. In these critical areas, qualifying systems that may potentially be exposed to the indirect induced effects of a lightning strike must be tested to demonstrate the ability to function properly given adverse conditions.

TÜV SÜD America's Indirect Lightning Effects capabilities include:

• Testing in compliance with RTCA/DO-160
  
• Multiple burst / multiple stroke lightning per SAE ARP5412 and other standards
  
• Completely automated testing schemes
  
• State-of-the-art equipment at both our New Brighton, MN and San Diego, CA facilities

About RTCA/DO-160
Change No. 3 to RTCA/DO-160D was issued December 5, 2002, revising Section 22 - Lightning Induced Transient Susceptibility. RTCA/DO-160E was issued December 9, 2004, and incorporates the changes made in Change No. 3. Lightning Induced Transient Susceptibility tests determine whether equipment can operate as specified during and/or after various lightning induced transient waveforms are injected into connector pins, interconnecting cables, and power leads. Section 22 includes multiple burst and multiple stroke tests for interconnecting cable bundles, using either cable induction or ground injection.

For more information, contact us.

top