Advanced Lightning Location Correction of LPATS-T by Geographical Parameters

Abstract

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) introduced the Lightning Position and Tracking System (LPATS) Version III in 1990. The system uses the time-of-arrival technique for lightning location. TEPCO had studied the operating characteristics of the system, and had confirmed its effectiveness. However, further improvement of the functions and performance was necessary from the viewpoint of utilities. TEPCO, therefore, began development of the LPATS-T in cooperation with the Global Atmospherics, Inc. and formally put the system into operation in 1996.
Performance of LPATS-T at TEPCO was evaluated based on comparison with actual lightning current measurement data at transmission towers. Sixty-one lightning locations at transmission towers were detected by LPATS-T from 1996 to 2000. Location error was estimated to be about 650 m on average. TEPCO corrected the lightning locations by the geographical propaga-tion path. As a result, location error was effectively improved when the lightning wavelength was set at 2, 000 m. The precision of lightning location by LPATS-T reduced the average error from 650 m to 330 m. Also, the standard deviation was 180 m from 390 m.