A New Efficient Approach to Estimate Overhead Distribution Lines Lightning Performance

This paper presents a new alternative approach for estimating the lightning performance of overhead distribution lines by combining the Unscented Transform method with the Monte Carlo method. The partial application of the Unscented Transform method, a mathematical tool that discretizes probability density functions, significantly reduces the number of simulations required for lightning performance assessments. The proposed hybrid approach is compared to the traditional one, which relies solely on the Monte Carlo method, with both approaches applied within a computational tool to estimate the lightning performance, considering both direct and indirect lightning strikes. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach can provide similar lightning performance estimates as the traditional method but with greater computational efficiency.