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Morgan-Botti Lightning Laboratory

We have some of the best facilities worldwide for lightning research and testing, supported by a highly experienced staff team.

The Morgan-Botti Lightning Laboratory (MBLL) provides a research and test capability for understanding and enhancing the science of lightning protection. It is Europe's only university-based lightning direct-effects laboratory and one of only a handful worldwide.

The £2.4m facility is capable of generating controlled lightning with currents up to 200,000 amps, more than five times that of the average lightning strike.

Technical features

The Morgan-Botti Lightning Laboratory (MBLL) provides a research and test capability for understanding and enhancing the science of lightning protection. It is Europe's only university-based lightning direct-effects laboratory and one of only a handful worldwide.

  • The £2.4m facility is capable of generating controlled lightning with currents up to 200,000 amps, more than five times that of the average lightning strike.
  • 'B' component (intermediate current): 10 Coulomb charge delivered at an average current of 2kA
  • 'C' component (continuing current): 200 Coulomb total charge delivered at a constant DC current of 200-800A
  • 'D' component: (subsequent return stroke): Peak current of 100kA, with an action integral no less than 0.25x106 A2s and delivered within 500µs
Lightning direct-effects test chamber
Lightning direct-effects test chamber

The MBLL has a wide range of diagnostic tools for the measurement and analysis of lightning direct effects phenomena. We also have expertise in designing and developing sensors and test techniques to meet demanding research needs. Our existing diagnostic capabilities include:

Transducers: Robust systems for high-speed measurement of current (current transformers, rogowski coils, resistive shunt), floating and differential voltage measurement, pressure and temperature monitoring. A range of high-speed scopes and data-acquisition systems are used to log the resulting data

Imaging: We use a range of visual and thermal imaging systems, including high resolution still cameras, high speed monochrome camera (up to 775,000 fps) and laser illumination system, and a pair of research grade thermal cameras.

High speed camera stills of lightning attachment to a CFRP test panel
High speed camera stills of lightning attachment to a CFRP test panel

Light Analysis: Spectral analysis of lightning arcs and secondary emission events is performed using complimentary UV-Visible and Near-Infrared spectrographs. The information generated helps us to understand the physical and chemical processes occurring during the strike. Instantaneous arc intensity is recorded using a photodiode-based transient light measurement system.

Mechanical: In addition to electrical heating effects, a direct lightning attachment to a structures results in significant localised and short-lived mechanical loading, causing deflection of the structure and shckwave propagation. Ongoing research at MBLL has devleoped a number of diagnostic systems for quantifying these processes

Post-strike analysis: We also have a number of post-strike diagnostic facilities, to give us a detailed insight into the physical processes and damage mechanisms occurring during a test. Capabilities include: Sample sectioning, mounting, polishing, pc-driven conventional and inverted microscopy, electron microscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray (EDX) spectroscopy.

Modelling and Simulation: We have expertise in the use of a wide range of software packages for the modelling of field and current distribution in composite materials, electromechanical interaction in structures and electromagnetic fast transient phenomena.

How it helps

The Lightning Laboratory team coordinate a research and collaboration network on Electromagnetic Characterisation of Carbon Composites (EMC3), with active membership from a wide array of industrial partners and academic institutions. This network allows us to undertake targeted industry-focussed R&D, while also working to improve and develop new diagnostics techniques with relevance to international lightning test standards.

We have a number of active projects with Airbus Group Innovations, notably an ATI-funded project investigating and characterising sparking phenomena in CFRP components and joints. Our research focus is in the investigation of protection systems for aerospace structures and fuel systems, and in developing transducers and test methods for the evaluation of such systems under harsh electromagnetic conditions.