Project Title:

Corona Current Instruments for Electric Field Detection of Lightning Potential

13.05-1834
Corona Current Instruments for Electric Field Detection of Lightning Potential
Weather Corporation
46 Kendal Common Road
Weston
MA
02193
Markson
Ralph J.
11292
50,000
KSC

Abstract:

This project is to develop relatively simple, inexpensive and reliable solid state
instrumentation that can measure electric fields near the Earth's surface in order
to estimate the likelihood for triggered lightning which could affect missile launches
and recovery of the Space Shuttle.  Presently there is a field mill network at Kennedy
Space Center serving this function.  Field mills are expensive to purchase and maintain
and require electric power to drive their motors.  The proposed instrumentation would
require minimal DC power and no AC power (they could be powered with dry cells),
would have no moving parts and require minimal maintenance.  They could either replace
the present field mills and/or be integrated into the existing system to expand it.
 They could also be installed easily at new remote locations or at other NASA facilities.
 The new instrumentation would function by measuring corona currents made insensitive
to wind velocity.  As part of the project, estimates would be made of potential and
electric fields under and in charged clouds over KSC to determine the extent to which
the space charge layer near the ground under thunderstorms masks the true intensity
of fields in the clouds.  Aircraft measurements of electric fields in the subcloud/,lower
cloud region as well as below thundercloud anvils would be obtained as part of the
project.