Wind-turbine lightning protection: Electrostatic models are not sufficient

Wind turbines made of non-conducting composites currently use lightning receptors to reduce damage. Attempts to understand receptor effectiveness have focused on electrostatic models of $\vec{E}$-field around the turbine in the presence of an incoming lightning leader. We created such an electrostatic model using COMSOL, to test the hypothesis in the wind community that a receptor with a larger static field at this ``striking distance'' is a more effective lightning interceptor. While we modeled field for a real turbine, we could not do a lab test of same. Instead, a circuit board (PCB) with copper stripes (cathodes) of varied spacing (s) was fabricated. ($1.1 \; cm