Development of an Experimental Setup to Study Carbon/Epoxy Composite Subjected to Simulated Lightning Current

Gharghabi, P., Lee, J., Mazzola, M., Lacy, T., & Kluss, J. V. (2017). Development of an Experimental Setup to Study Carbon/Epoxy Composite Subjected to Simulated Lightning Current. 2017 IEEE Conference on Electrical Insulation and Dielectric Phenomenon. Fort Worth, TX: IEEE.

Abstract

A series of artificial lightning strike tests were performed on laminated carbon/epoxy composite material, and the results were used for assessment of the lightning induced damage to the test coupons. The objective of this work is to study the lightning induced damage to the non-protected composite laminates. There has been a rising trend in using composite materials in modern aircrafts because these materials introduce many advantages over conventional materials. However, composites are not excellent conductors, and insulating components affect its response and makes them vulnerable to the lightning current distribution. To experimentally simulate the lightning discharge, an impulse current generator was designed and tuned to produce the artificial lightning discharges at 50, 125, and 200 kA peak amplitude currents for lightning effects testing of composite structures. A series of lightning effects tests were applied to the square shape composite laminates, and the damages and dielectric behavior of the specimen were investigated.