Discussion
One for the physicists amongst you.
Just watching a programme on TV about the new breed of composite airliners. Steel airliners protect their passengers the same way steel cars do, by being a Faraday cage. But composite planes have to have a fine copper mesh built into them to gain the same effect.
Now, I know that 95% of the TVR fraternity are fair-weather polishers, but for those of us who actually use a TVR in the rain, are we at risk from lightening strikes?
Just watching a programme on TV about the new breed of composite airliners. Steel airliners protect their passengers the same way steel cars do, by being a Faraday cage. But composite planes have to have a fine copper mesh built into them to gain the same effect.
Now, I know that 95% of the TVR fraternity are fair-weather polishers, but for those of us who actually use a TVR in the rain, are we at risk from lightening strikes?
Believe it or not, I am actually a Chimaera owner and a lightning protection design engineer !
Metal bodied cars do indeed provide great protection and are actually probably one of the better places to be in a lightning storm. The Chimaera however, doesn't give you the same protection and sorry but it's not really any better if it's wet !
The metal roof struts are the highest part and probably where the lightning would strike, entering through the rear screen. The lightning energy would then probably be conducted down into the petrol tank and would try to get out the bottom of it into the chassis or to ground via cables. I think there would be quite a bit of damage. The petrol tank would be OK if the walls were 4mm thick or more but I think its a fair bit thinner than that so you could get an explosion or fire, dependent upon the strike current magnitude.
Fortunately, the chances of you actually getting struck by lightning in the UK, in something the size and height of a Chimaera are extremely small so I wouldn't worry about it. Having said that, if you do happen to be on the top of a hill during a lightning storm, it's probably a good idea to drive somewhere less exposed or park about 1 metre away from a metal-framed artic trailer !
Hope that answers the question.
Metal bodied cars do indeed provide great protection and are actually probably one of the better places to be in a lightning storm. The Chimaera however, doesn't give you the same protection and sorry but it's not really any better if it's wet !
The metal roof struts are the highest part and probably where the lightning would strike, entering through the rear screen. The lightning energy would then probably be conducted down into the petrol tank and would try to get out the bottom of it into the chassis or to ground via cables. I think there would be quite a bit of damage. The petrol tank would be OK if the walls were 4mm thick or more but I think its a fair bit thinner than that so you could get an explosion or fire, dependent upon the strike current magnitude.
Fortunately, the chances of you actually getting struck by lightning in the UK, in something the size and height of a Chimaera are extremely small so I wouldn't worry about it. Having said that, if you do happen to be on the top of a hill during a lightning storm, it's probably a good idea to drive somewhere less exposed or park about 1 metre away from a metal-framed artic trailer !
Hope that answers the question.
For once you'd be looking forward to being stuck in traffic surrounded by high metal vehicles. What is the Targa panel made of exactly - Something carbon based right? Is this a good conductor of electricity? Would the heat mean if we survived the strike, we'd be surrounded in diamonds? 
spikep said:
Now that is an answer, Brilliant!!
Thanks.Here's a cool video of what happens when lightning hits a car.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5ukjjJy3Nk
The lightning passes through the car and hits the road. The heat generated causes rapid expansion in the road surface and blows it apart.
The other interesting thing is, look at how many overhead wires, poles and trees there are above the junction. The lightning misses all of those and hits the much lower car. This is typical of a weak lightning strike and is a great example of how lightning protection doesn't protect as huge an area as you might think.
And this is why you shouldn't stand near a tree near a lightning storm. They are tall and so are more likely to get struck and they are full of water/sap, which expands rapidly under the intense electric current and blows the outer parts of the tree off:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBwkGtroA-I
The guy at the start of this video compilation is one lucky bloke:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltK5c60nBHQ
Edited by taylormj4 on Monday 13th June 10:42
Danattheopticians said:
On a different twist to the subject, you know those annoying static electric shocks you get from metal car doors, does having a fibreglass body stop those?
The shock is a discharge of static electricity, usually from you to the car. The static can be created when you get out of the car and your trousers rub against the seat fabric, although other mechanisms are also possible. You gain an opposite charge to the car. Then when you touch the door, you discharge that stored charge, which you sense as an electrical shock.The TVR has leather seats, which don't readily create charge when rubbed so it's probably that which helps.
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