Engineering of high voltage discharges

当我们从远处欣赏闪电所带来的大自然脾气的壮观展示时，我们无法掩饰它所灌输的恐惧。我们的直觉是对的。雷击有可能对它所接触到的一切造成无法弥补的损害，有时还会导致生命损失。即使在一定距离内，来自雷击路径的电磁辐射也可能产生足够的电压，造成电气设备和电子元件的永久损失或至少暂时故障。虽然防止直接雷击有害影响的努力可以追溯到本杰明·富兰克林，但通过实验观察，人们每天都能获得有关间接雷击危险的相关知识。电子元件小型化的进步使我们的仪器更加方便，但也更容易受到入射电磁场的影响。因此，对闪电事件技术特征细节的要求越来越严格。幸运的是，改进的仪器可以提供所需的更精确的信息。申请的“探索拨款”将用于在加拿大国家电视塔进行有关闪电现象的三个方面的研究：(1)同时测量加拿大国家电视塔内的闪电电流及其发出的电磁辐射。闪电的适当视觉方面也将被记录下来。(2)建立计算模型，帮助建立闪电路径内的电流与特定地理位置产生的电磁场之间的关系。为了验证这些模型，将与第1项下收集的测量结果进行比较。（三）从事雷电的其他方面的研究，例如CN塔内及其附近地面内的雷电电流分布。拟议的调查结果将为雷电防护标准和法规的使用提供所需的信息，从而保护建筑物，避免机场事故，并有望挽救生命。

As we admire from afar the spectacular display of nature's temper provided by the lightning, we cannot hide the fear it instils.  And our instincts are right.  A lightning strike has the potential of causing irreparable damage to everything it touches and on occasion it leads to loss of life.  Even at a distance, electromagnetic radiation from the lightning path may induce sufficient voltage to be responsible for permanent loss or at least for temporary malfunction of electrical apparatus and electronic components.         While protection efforts against detrimental effects of direct lightning strikes date as far back as Benjamin Franklin, through experimental observations pertinent knowledge about the danger of indirect strikes is gained with every new day.  Advances in the miniaturization of electronic components make our instrumentation much more handy yet also more susceptible to the incident electromagnetic field.  For that reason requirements on details about the technical characteristics of a lightning event are continuously becoming more and more stringent.  Fortunately improved instrumentation can provide the needed more precise information.       The requested support for the Discovery Grant will be used to pursue studies at the CN Tower on three aspects of the lightning phenomenon: (1) To perform simultaneous measurements of the lightning current within the CN Tower and of the electromagnetic radiation it emanates.  Appropriate visual aspects of the lightning flash will also be recorded.  (2) To develop computational models that could help to establish the relation between the current within the lightning path and the resultant electromagnetic field incident at a specified geographic location.  For their verification these models will be compared to measured results collected under item 1.  (3) To engage in studies of other aspects of lightning, such as the distribution of lightning current within the CN Tower and within ground in its vicinity.       Results of proposed investigations will provide needed information for use in standards and regulations on lightning protection and thereby safeguard structures, avoid accidents at airports and hopefully save lives.