EMA can assist our clients by performing validated physics-based simulation and analysis in areas in which the system is easily modeled and the number of unknowns is low. This includes analysis of the current distribution away from the attachment location, estimates of the ultimate temperature profile on nearby structures, lightning attachment location determination, and channel sweep analysis. The analysis can be augmented by limited testing using accepted procedures in order to understand portions of the lightning attachment process that are less amenable to simulation. This includes the damage to materials by direct lightning attachment and attachment location testing. EMA has experience writing test plans and helping interpret results.

Studies of lightning attachment and damage to vehicles can take into account the lightning threat as a function of altitude, air density distribution near the vehicle, thermal conductivity and specific heat of materials, known failure temperatures of composites, and vehicle velocity in order to more accurately understand the attachment and sweeping process and remove unnecessary uncertainty. Final integration of results from the entire program can include work to quantify the risk of failure given specified performance criteria. This analysis/testing composite approach constitutes best-practices based on state-of-the-art aerospace certification procedures to understand direct effects with respect to limiting the risk of failure and certification costs.