A bibliometric analysis of lightning performance research on overhead transmission lines: a two-decade review (2006–2026)

Abstract

Lightning-induced failures on overhead transmission lines (OHTLs), particularly backflashover and shielding failure, represent persistent threats to power system reliability. Despite a growing body of technical literature, no systematic mapping of the global knowledge structure of this domain exists. This bibliometric study analyses 225 peer-reviewed journal articles from the Web of Science Core Collection spanning 2006–2026, employing bibliographic coupling, co-word, and co-authorship analysis through VOSviewer to map the intellectual structure and thematic evolution of lightning performance research on OHTLs. Temporal analysis reveals sustained growth in annual publications, peaking at 22 papers in 2023. Bibliographic coupling identifies four distinct research clusters: shielding failure and backflashover analysis, lightning attachment modelling, lightning protection measures, and grounding electrode modelling. Co-word analysis confirms that “lightning“ and ”backflashover” constitute the twin conceptual pillars of the field, with ATP-EMTP (alternative transient program-electromagnetic transients program) simulation and Monte Carlo probabilistic frameworks emerging as the dominant methodological paradigm. Co-authorship analysis shows that research activity is concentrated in national groups, led by China, Brazil, Iran, Japan, and Greece, with international collaboration remaining sparse. The findings reveal a structural gap between grounding system modelling and mainstream backflashover rate simulation, representing the most consequential under-exploited interface in the field. Future research priorities include surrogate-based performance estimation, physics-based attachment models for ultra-high-voltage and high voltage direct current systems, terrain-integrated lightning incidence modelling, and standardised benchmarking frameworks.