Lightning Protection Design of High-Speed Maglev System

The high-speed maglev train would be the highest point in the maglev system under high-speed operating, which makes the train body easy to be attacked by lightning strike directly. Therefore the lightning protection system need to be emphasized to ensure the safety and reliability of the on-board low-voltage equipment. The grounding system is the crucial part in lightning protection of maglev system. Therefore, in this paper, the applicability of lightning protection standards to maglev system are discussed. The lightning protection measurements of high-speed railway are used as references to offer a proposal to lightning protection design of maglev system. The discharge path and electric structure of wheel-rail train system is compared with maglev system to illuminate the differences and similarities between the two system in lightning protection design. The requirements of maglev lightning protection system are highlighted and several lightning protection design proposals for on-board devices, cables and train body are proposed.