Investigation of lightning attachment characteristics of wind turbine blades with different receptors

Abstract

Wind power generation system is one of the most important components of new energy power system. However, lightning disasters seriously threaten the safe and stable operation of wind turbine blades. In order to protect wind turbine blades from lightning, different types of lightning receptors are developed. In this paper, lightning discharge experiments of wind turbine blades are carried out to study the lightning protection effects of tip, side, and metal mesh receptors. The lightning discharge processes of wind turbine blades with different receptors are observed and the lightning protection failure rates are recorded. Electric field simulations have been done to analyze the lightning discharge mechanism and discuss the lightning protection optimization methods of wind turbine blades, which can give references for the lightning protection design of wind power generation system.

Keywords

• Lightning protection performance
• Wind turbine blade
• Electric field simulation
• Attachment characteristics