Evaluation of parameters influencing the lightning performance of communication towers by numerical modeling and experimental tests

• The parameters effective in lightning performance of communication tower is investigated by a numerical simulation method.
• a small-scale communication tower was built and tested in a high voltage laboratory.
• The experimental tests performed show a good agreement with the simulation results.

This paper analyzes the effective parameters on lightning performance. The effects of tower height, breakdown electric field threshold, the ground slope of installation place, and the effect of the trees around the tower are investigated. A 3-D numerical analysis model is proposed to determine the number of direct lightning strokes to antennas. The communication tower, lightning rod, downward descending leader and upward leaders are modeled by different shapes of charges. Finally, a small-scale communication tower was built and tested in a high voltage laboratory. The experimental tests were consistent with the simulation results verifying the merits of the proposed method.