The heat transfer characteristics of lightning return stroke channel

Abstract Based on the time-resolved spectra of lightning return stroke processes, the evolutional characteristics of thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of the discharge channels are discussed. The distribution of temperature along the radial direction of channels at the peak current stage of return stroke is also investigated, and then the heat transferring characteristics along radial direction of the channels are analyzed. The results show that a temperature gradient along radial direction of lightning channel is formed due to the outward heat transfer. The closer the distance is to the current core channel, the greater the temperature gradient is and the more heat is transferred along the radial direction of the channel. The heat transferring in per unit length of the channel and per unit time is in the order of 10 4  J/m ⋅ s at the initial moment of lightning return stroke. After the peak current, the channel temperature decreases slowly and the heat transport coefficients vary as a monotonically decreasing function.