MIT tool can forecast lightning strikes on aircraft and wind turbines

Researchers at MIT have developed a novel physics-based simulation tool that predicts how lightning interacts with various aircraft designs, enabling engineers to optimize lightning protection more effectively. Unlike traditional methods that rely on historical data from conventional tube-and-wing aircraft, this tool uses computational fluid dynamics and electrostatics to model lightning attachment, movement, and exit on aircraft surfaces. The resulting color-coded zoning maps identify regions requiring different levels of protection, allowing for weight-efficient design by avoiding unnecessary heavy shielding on less vulnerable areas. This advancement is particularly important as the aerospace industry shifts toward unconventional, lightweight designs such as truss-braced wings and blended-body aircraft, where existing lightning protection standards may not apply. The MIT team validated their model by comparing it with established lightning protection data for conventional planes, finding close alignment and confirming its accuracy. Beyond aviation, the researchers see potential applications for the tool in other lightning-prone technologies, including offshore wind turbines, which currently suffer significant blade damage from lightning strikes. The project, partially funded by Boeing,