Prof. UDAYA KUMAR

 

UDAYA KUMAR

Professor and Chairman

urrent Research areas

Electromagnetics
Lightning modelling and Protection
Impulse current Measurement
High Frequency Response of Coils

Udaya Kumar is Professor at High Voltage Engineering 

Department of Indian Institute Of Science, (IISc) Bengaluru.

Prof. UdayaKumar is our Family Member, close relative, 

son-in law of brother B P Somayaji. 

His wife Shyla is software Engineer (M.Tech)

They have two daughters, Anagha (Now B.Tech. 

from IIT Madras) and Aditi, studying PUC.

The Indian Express Article about the achievement 

Prof. Udayakumar 

and his team at IISc.

IISc researchers develop model to study 

impact of lightning strikes on aircraft

Udaya Kumar, a professor of electrical engineering, has 

been studying lightning protection for the past few years.

Researchers at Bengaluru’s Indian Institute of Science (IISc) announced 

Thursday that they had developed a model to study how lightning strikes 

aircraft and that insights from the study would be used to design protective 

measures for craft.Udaya Kumar, a professor at the IISC’s electrical engineering

 department, said, “Lightning strikes can damage the aircraft surface and lead to 

temporary disruptions in electrical and electronic systems or even cause 

permanent damage, and in extreme cases, cause ignition of the fuel-air mixture

around the engine, leading to an explosion. Usually, an aircraft gets struck by

 lightning once every 1,000 hours. There have been a lot of incidents 

in the last century where things have been very catastrophic.”

Kumar’s lab has been studying lightning protection for the past few years.

“They have developed unique models that have addressed several 

long-standing issues of lightning current evolution. In the past, 

he was also involved in the design of a lightning protective system 

for Indian satellite launch pads and conducted research on different 

protective schemes. In the current study as well as in ongoing work, 

they have focused on modelling how lightning impacts aircraft, 

in order to develop suitable protective measures,” the IISc said in a media release.

In the usual downward cloud-to-ground lightning, a stepped leader

(initial lightning stroke) forms towards the ground. The researchers have 

shown that aircraft at higher altitudes have a greater affinity for 

lightning strikes. The model developed by the IISc team is applied

 to two different aircraft geometries: a DC10 passenger aircraft and a 

standard dynamics model (SDM) fighter aircraft.“Moreover, the aircraft 

is not perfectly parallel to the ground during take-off and landing, and 

the model is able to simulate how these changes in orientation can affect 

the electric field. The role of atmospheric conditions such as humidity 

and air pressure are also taken into account in the model. 

In ongoing studies, the team is planning to investigate several related 

issues including the local changes around the aircraft during the 

lightning strike evolution,” the IISc said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM6xslYERyM&t=216s

In addition, they are investigating disruptions to the internal electrical

 equipment when struck by lightning. “Kumar’s lab has also carried out

aa first-of-its-kind experiment on a small military aircraft by injecting

it with enormous amounts of current–intended to emulate lightning

 discharge– and by collecting electric field data from inside the craft,” the IISc added.

Educational History

    

Ph.D. (High Voltage)   IISc, Bangalore    1998

• M.E.(High Voltage)      IISc, Bangalore    1991
• B.E.(Electrical)    Bangalore University    1989ourses offered
•  in the last five years

 E5 — 212 Computational Methods for Insulation Engineering (2:1)

• E5 — 207 HV Transformers Part of HV Power Apparatus(3:0)
• E8 – 202 Electromagnetism (3:0)

Awards / Honours / Affiliations

 Associate Editor of IEEE Trans. On Power Delivery and IET High 

• Voltage & Journal of Lightning Research
• Member of the IEEE Herman Halperin Transmission & 
• Distribution Award Committee
• Senior Member of IEEE and Distinguished member of CIGRE
• Expert member of the technical committee on “Lightning Arrester” of NDMA
• Steering Committee member of APL, Technical committee 
• member of ICLP & APL conferences