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Consulting
Consulting service summary
We offer consulting services for:
·
analysis and recommendations for specific systems, including connections and use of
fittings as lightning conductors ($125 per hour);
·
consulting analysis of lightning damage & effects ($200 per hour);
·
expert
witness testimony concerning any aspect of lightning on or near water
($200-$300 per hour).
Consulting Agreement
Terms and conditions for consulting services can be
downloaded here. Please call Dr. Thomson at +1 352 373
3485 or email
him before executing the agreement.
There is no charge for the initial consultation. If sending an email, please include a
brief account of the project and one or two relevant images.
Consultant experience
The consultant is Ewen M.
Thomson, Ph.D., who is also CEO of Marine Lightning Protection Inc., . Author of a 1991 IEEE paper concerning the US
lightning protection code that was
responsible for the rewriting of that code by NFPA
and ABYC, his 23 minute video "Lightning Protection of
Sailboats" is now used by the US Power Squadron
in their courses on boating safety. In addition to his work on boat protection, his research
interests while at the University
of Florida spanned the spectrum
from development of fundamental electromagnetic theory to design and implementation of
experimental systems for lightning research such as a multiple-station
wideband electric field system at Kennedy
Space Center
. His teaching experience included undergraduate physics, introductory electric circuits, and electromagnetics at both undergraduate and graduate
level. Since devoting full time to MLP he
has concentrated on techniques and products for lightning protection of
boats.
Coming from an academic background as a
lightning researcher and teacher for about three decades, his work for MLP has
included projects that have afforded him hands-on experience
in the marine industry, such as:
·
design and fabrication of all MLP products (SiedarcTM,
ZZapStrapTM, and GStripTM);
·
involvement in standard rewriting for ABYC and NFPA;
·
panelist at IBEX;
·
collaboration with manufacturers such as
Mirage Manufacturing and Southern Spars, and designers such as Radford Design, on systems incorporating SiedarcTM electrodes;
Other projects have capitalized on
both his understanding of the relevant physical principles
and his analysis of actual damage and effects
arising from lightning strikes:
·
In the case of M/V DestinationNowhere,
investigation of hull lightning damage revealed multiple layers of delamination and much more extensive damage than was
originally indicated.
·
Contrary to an original assessment that hull
holes in S/V Chessie were the result of osmosis,
a novel test for free carbon showed that lightning was the cause.
As an expert witness in
legal proceedings, Dr. Thomson has been involved in the following cases:
·
Graham vs. ENSCO,
2003-2005, Galveston Division, Texas,
analyzed lightning strike data obtained by the National Lightning Detection
Network and weather radar data to pinpoint storm locations at the time of a
lightning injury on oil rig, (deposition April 6, 2005).
·
Travelers Insurance vs. Lightning Prevention
Systems, 2003-2006, Harrison County, Mississippi,
insurance claim for boat damage from lightning to sailboat with dissipator, (no deposition).
·
Curry vs. Coast Electric, 2004, Harrison
County, Mississippi, review
only for power line injury, (no deposition).
·
MET Construction vs. Altel,
Miami, Florida, 2001-2002, review only of lighting damage to structure, (no deposition).
·
Inquest, Ontario,
Canada, concerning
lightning as a factor in deaths of two sailors in Fujinon
300 sailboat race in Lake Ontario,
1992
·
Hillsborough
County vs. EPA, 1990-1991,
simulation of EMF from power lines, (deposition).
Consultant vitae
Ewen McKenzie Thomson
3215 NW 17th
Street ▪
Gainesville ▪ Florida
▪ 32605-2511 ▪ Phone & FAX: (352) 373-3485 ▪ E-mail:
EwenT@marinelightning.com
Biographical Married, New Zealand
citizen, US Permanent Resident
Education Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, University
of Queensland, Australia,
1985; Thesis: Lightning in Papua New Guinea
M.Sc. (Honors), Physics, University of
Auckland, New Zealand, 1973;
Thesis: RF
Characteristics of Lightning
B.Sc., University
of Auckland, New Zealand, 1971
Employment 2001- present President & consultant,
Marine Lightning Protection Inc.
1986- 2003 Associate
Professor in Electrical Engineering, University of Florida
1985-1986 Assistant
Professor in Electrical Engineering, University of Florida
1982-1984
Provisional Visiting Assistant Professor in Electrical Engineering,
University of Florida
1981-1982 Research
Assistant in Electrical Engineering, University of Florida
1978-1980 Lecturer
1, Physics Department, University of Papua New Guinea, Papua New Guinea
1974-1977 Senior
tutor, Physics Department, University of Papua New Guinea, Papua New Guinea
1973 High School
Teacher, Science Department, St. Peters College, Auckland, New Zealand
Professional Societies Society for Naval Architects and Marine
Engineers, Lightning Protection Institute
Courses taught at University
of Florida Circuits
I (EEL3111), Circuits for non-EE majors (EEL3003), Electromagnetic Fields I
& II (EEL3472, EEL3473), Lightning (EEL5490), Electromagnetic Fields
and Applications I & II (EEL6486, EEL6487)
Major Research
Projects
1. Lightning protection of boats Promoting lightning protection of boats
through IBEX, workshops, and web pages www.thomson.ece.ufl.edu/lightning/
and www.marinelightning.com
Developing alternative theory to existing ground resistance to
explain and predict sideflash formation. Earlier
work was based on a resistive model for ground resistance and resulted in a
video and publication directed at the lay person. Developing innovative
products for lightning protection in the vicinity of water.
2. Electromagnetic theory Extension of
fundamental EM theory (Thomson, 2000; Thomson,
1999; Thomson, 1985; Thomson et al.,1985) applied
to lightning modeling.
3. Models for sources of dE/dt Analyzing data obtained with the Kennedy
Space Center
multiple station wideband electric field system (MSWEFS)
to develop physical models for the sources of dE/dt.
The experimental design, described in Thomson et al. (1994), followed
earlier systems; (i) for measuring horizontal
electric fields (Thomson et al., 1988a,1988b); (ii) for investigation of
lightning characteristics in Papua New
Guinea (Thomson, 1980a; 1980b; 1978),
and; (iii) for testing a design for a ground flash counter (Clegg and
Thomson, 1978)
Research Funding Summary at University of Florida
Co-principal Investigator (with PI
M.A. Uman) on NSF, NASA, DOE, and DNA grants
totaling $M1.044, 1983-1988
Principal Investigator on AFOSR, NSF, NASA, and Sea Grant grants totaling $M1.475 1988 - 2000
Publications and presentations
a. Reviewed
Schueler, J. R., and E. M. Thomson (2007), Improving
lightning location goodness of fit by compensating propagation effects of
stratified ground, Radio Sci., 42, RS5009, doi:10.1029/2007RS003639.
Schueler, J. S. and E.M.Thomson,
Estimating ground conductivity and improving lightning location goodness of
fit by compensating propagation effects, submitted to Radio Science, June
2004, under revision.
Thomson,E.M., Exact
Expressions for Electric and Magnetic Field from a Propagating Lightning
Channel with Arbitrary Orientation, J. Geophys. Res, 104, no.D18, 22293-22300, 1999.
Thomson,E.M., Location of sources of radiation using a
weighted hyperbola technique, NASA Tech. Briefs, 22, 64, 1998.
Medelius,
P. J., Y. Yariv, E.M.
Thomson, and S. Davis, Frequency and phase compensation in a pulse transmission
system, 21, 54, NASA Tech. Briefs, 1997.
Thomson, E.M., P.J. Medelius, and S.Davis System
for locating the sources of wideband dE/dt from
lightning, J. Geophys. Res., 99, No D11,
22.793-22,802, 1994.
Thomson, E.M., Lightning and sailboats, SGEB-17, Florida Sea
Grant College Program Publication, 1992..
Georgiadis,
N., M. Rubinstein, M. A. Uman, P. J. Medelius, and E. M. Thomson, Lightning-Induced Voltages
at Both Ends of a 448-m Power Distribution Line, IEEE Trans Electromag. Comp., 34, 451-460, 1992.
Thomson, E.M., A critical assessment of the US
code for lightning protection of boats, IEEE Trans. Electromag.
Comp., 33 (2), 132-138,1991.
Rubinstein, M., A.Y. Tzeng, M.A. Uman, P.J. Medelius and E.M. Thomson, An
experimental test of a theory of lightning-induced voltages on an overhead
wire, IEEE Trans. EMC, 31 (4), 376-383, 1989.
Bils, J.R., E.M. Thomson, M.A. Uman, D.
and Mackerras, Electric field pulses in close
lightning cloud flashes, J. Geophys. Res., 93,
15,933-15,940, 1988.
Thomson, E.M., P. Medelius,
M.A. Uman, A remote sensor for three components
of transient electric fields, IEEE Trans. Ind. Electr.,
35, 426-433, 1988a.
Thomson, E.M., P.J.
Medelius, M. Rubinstein, M.A. Uman,
J. Johnson, and J.W. Stone, Horizontal electric
fields from lightning return strokes, J. Geophys.
Res., 93, No. D3, 2429-2441, 1988b.
Thomson, E.M., A theoretical study of
electrostatic field wave shapes from lightning leaders, J. Geophys. Res., 90, 8125-8135, 1985.
Thomson, E.M., Uman, M.A., Beasley, W.H., Speed and current for lightning stepped leaders
near ground as determined from electric field records, J. Geophys., 90, 8136-8142, 1985.
Thomson, E.M.,
Galib, M.A., Uman,
M.A., Beasley, W.H., Master, M.J.,
Some features of stroke occurrence in Florida
lightning flashes, J. Geophys. Res., 89, No. D3,
4910-4916, 1984.
Thomson, E.M., Characteristics of Port
Moresby ground flashes, J. Geophys., Res., 85,
1027-1036, 1980a.
Thomson, E.M.,
The dependence of lightning return stroke
characteristics on latitude, J. Geophys. Res.,
85, 1050-1056, 1980b.
Thomson, E.M., Photoelectric detector for
daytime lightning, Electronic Letters, 14, 337-339, 1978.
Clegg, R.J.,
and Thomson, E.M., Some properties of EM radiation from lightning, J. Geophys.
Res., 84, 719-724, 1979.
Thomson, E.M.,
Ground currents in Port Moresby
lightning, Science in New Guinea,5(2), 67-79, 1977.
Thomson, E.M., Daytime photography of lightning, Science in New
Guinea,5(2),
79-85, 1977.
b. Video coproduced
Thomson,E.M., Lightning
Protection of Sailboats, Sea Grant, 23 minutes, 1992.
c. Conference and trade
show presentations
Thomson, E.M. Grounding
lightning to water, Florida Region Meeting, Society for Accredited Marine
Surveyors, Fort Pierce, Florida,
2005.
Thomson,E.M. Lightning-Damage Assessment & Repair,
International Boating Exposition (IBEX) ,Miami,
Florida, 2003
Thomson, E.M., Sideflash initiation
from shipboard conductors, ULPA/LPI conference, Destin,
Florida, 2003.
Thomson,E.M. Lightning Protection, IBEX ,Miami,
Florida, 2001
Davis, S.M., and E.M. Thomson,
Lightning subsequent stroke producing new terminations to ground, 11th
International Conference of Atmospheric Electricity, Guntersville, Alabama,
June 7-11, 1999.
Thomson,E.M. Lightning Protection: Fact or Fiction?
,IBEX ,Miami, Florida,
1999
Thomson, E.M. and S. Davis, Waveshapes in multiple
station dE/dt from lightning, AGU
Fall Meeting, San Francisco,
1995.
Davis,
S. and E.M.Thomson, Reversal effects in multiple
station dE/dt from lightning, AGU
Fall Meeting, San Francisco,
1995.
Schueler, J.R., and E.M.Thomson, Conductivity effects in dE/dt waveshapes from
lightning, AGU Fall Meeting, San
Francisco, 1995.
Thomson, E.M., and P. J. Medelius, The
Effect of a Propagating Lightning Source on the Waveshapes
of Narrowband VHF Radiation, AGU Fall Meeting,
San Francisco, 1992
Medelius, P.J., E.M. Thomson, and J. Pierce, E and dE/dt
waveshapes for narrow bipolar pulses in intracloud lightning, Proceedings, International
Conference on Lightning and Static Electricity, Cocoa Beach, 1991.
Thomson, E.M., and P.J. Medelius, A system for mapping sources of VHF and
electric field pulses from in-cloud lightning at KSC,
Proceedings, International Conference on Lightning and Static Electricity,
Cocoa Beach, 1991.
Medelius,P.J.
and E.M.Thomson, Multiple station wideband
lightning electric field measurements, American Geophysical Union Fall
Meeting, San Francisco, 1991.
Rubinstein,M., M.A.Uman, E.M.Thomson, and P.J.Medelius,
Voltages induced on a test distribution line by artificially initiated
lightning at close range: Measurement and theory, 20th International
Conference on Lightning Protection, Interlachen, Switzerland,
1990.
Thomson, E.M., Inadequacies in the US
code for lightning protection of boats, 1989 International Conference on
Lightning and Static Electricity, Bath, UK.
Thomson, E.M.,
Radiation field from an in-cloud lightning process with arbitrary
orientation, American Geophysical Union Fall Conference, San Francisco,
1987.
Thomson, E.M.,
P. Medelius, M. Rubinstein, M.A. Uman, J. Johnson, and J.W.
Stone, 1985. Horizontal electric fields from lightning return strokes in
10th International Aerospace and Ground Conference on Lightning and Static
Electricity, Paris, June 1985, pp 167-173, available from Les Editions de
Physique, BP112, 91944 Les Ulis Cedex, France.
Thomson, E.M.,
A comparison of the electrostatic component with the full electric field
change from lightning leaders and continuing currents, Vllth
international Conference on Atmospheric Electricity, Albany, New York,
June, 1984.
Uman,
M.A., E.P. Krider, P.L. Rustan, B.P. Kuhlman, J.P. Moreau, E.M.
Thomson, J.W. Stone, and W.H.
Beasley, Airborne and ground based lightning electric and magnetic fields
and VHF source location for three nearby lightning flashes, International
Aerospace and Ground Conference on Lightning and Static Electricity, Ft.
Worth, 1983.
Thomson, E.M.,
A. Enayatzadeh and M.A. Uman,
Horizontal electric field measurements from lightning, Trans. Am. Geophys. Union, 64, 662, 1983.
Thomson, E.M.,
and D. Mackerras, A method of characterizing
lightning in terms of the impulsiveness of the charge transfer processes,
in Ruhnke, L.H., and J.
Latham (eds), Proceedings in Atmospheric
Electricity, pp 360-364, Deepak Publishing, Virginia, 1983.
Thomson, F.M.,
W.H. Beasley and M.A. Uman,
Stepped leader current and velocity near ground, Trans. Am. Geophys. Union, 63, 891, 1982.
Thomson, E.M.,
J.W. Stone, M.A. Uman,
and W.H. Beasley, Location of lightning sources
at VHF using cross correlation techniques, Trans. Geophys.
Union, 62, 880, 1981
c. Articles in non-reviewed trade magazines and
journals
…Thomson, E.M.,
"Lightning protection", Letter, Professional Boatbulder,88, 4-6,
April/May 2004
Patent
Method and
apparatus for lightning protection, USPTO
6,708,638 a technique for lightning grounding that utilizes proactive spark
initiation from electrodes. Applications also filed in Australia,
Canada, Europe,
and New Zealand.
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