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Classification of lightning damage to wind turbine blades
Author(s) -
Yasuda Yoh,
Yokoyama Shigeru,
Minowa Masayuki,
Satoh Tomoyuki
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
ieej transactions on electrical and electronic engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.254
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1931-4981
pISSN - 1931-4973
DOI - 10.1002/tee.21773
Subject(s) - lightning (connector) , countermeasure , lightning strike , turbine blade , wind power , turbine , installation , marine engineering , forensic engineering , blade (archaeology) , environmental science , engineering , lightning arrester , structural engineering , electrical engineering , power (physics) , aerospace engineering , mechanical engineering , physics , quantum mechanics
Lightning damage to wind turbine blades is of great concern to wind power installations. We investigate various issues arising from lightning damage and assess the causes through actual lightning observations as well as from high‐voltage and large‐current experiments. Although installing lightning receptors and down conductors provide a good countermeasure, blade damage can still be caused by lightning still. New techniques are needed to better protect blades from lightning surges; these may include not only better performance and layout of receptors, but also independent lightning towers and new types of blade materials. This paper provides a classification of blade damage sustained in winter lightning, ranked in severity by analyzing the many incidents of damage that have actually occurred in Japan. Moreover, a list of possible causes of damage and relative countermeasures is also presented. © 2012 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.