472 results about "Lightning protection system" patented technology

A lightning protection system for protecting composite structures and a method of protecting composite structures from lightning strikes. A dielectric ply is fixed above and completely covers metal surface features, e.g., skin fasteners through a composite skin to a wing fuel tank. A conductive ply is fixed above and completely covers the dielectric ply and extends to an external connection to a platform ground. The conductive ply directs current from lightning strikes away from metal surface features, e.g., to the platform ground. Both plies may be adhesively backed and sequentially pressed into place.

In a wind turbine (104, 500, 704) having a plurality of blades (132, 404, 516, 744) and a blade rotor hub (120, 712), a lightning protection system (100, 504, 700) for conducting lightning strikes to any one of the blades and the region surrounding the blade hub along a path around the blade hub and critical components of the wind turbine, such as the generator (112, 716), gearbox (708) and main turbine bearings (176, 724).

The invention relates to a wind turbine blade for a wind turbine, having a tip end area and a root end area, and a lightning protection system, said lightning protection system comprising at least one metal foil, wherein said metal foil extends continuously from the tip end area to the root end area of the blade and wherein the metal foil is arranged in proximity to the outer surface of the blade, so that the metal foil is adapted to function as a receptor of a stroke of lightning and as a down conductor.

A lightning protection system for a wind turbine including an internal lightning conducting means, an external lightning conducting means mounted on the surface or in immediate proximity of the surface of the wind turbine, and a connection means for connecting the internal and external lightning conducting means is provided. A method of manufacturing a lightning protection system for a wind turbine is also provided.

The invention concerns a wind power installation. Such wind power installations of modern type, for example one of type E-40 or E-66 from Enercon are usually equipped with a lightning protection system which is known for example from DE 44 36 197.The present invention assists to minimise the number of interference with the electronic system by virtue of the flash-over effects at the spark path. A wind power installation comprising an arrangement for continuously discharging electrostatic charging of at least one rotor blade of a wind power installation.

The invention relates to a lightning protection system for a wind turbine blade, where the blade is a shell body made of a composite material and comprises a root area and a tip end. The lightning protection system comprises at least one lightning receptor arranged freely accessible in or on the shell unit surface on or in the immediate vicinity of the tip of the blade, and a lightning conductor made of electrically conductive material extending within the shell body along substantially the entire longitudinal direction of the blade. The lightning receptor and the lightning conductor are electrically connected by means of a connection area. The lightning conductor in its entire longitudinal direction as well as the connection area between the lightning conductor and the lightning receptor are electrically insulated in order to prevent lightning striking through the surface of the blade.

A rotor blade for a wind turbine is described. The rotor blade includes a lightning protection system. Thereby, the rotor blade body includes a non-conductive material, at least one receptor adapted to be a location for lightning impact, an insulated down conductor element within the rotor blade body, wherein the insulated down conductor includes: a down conductor, wherein the down conductor and the at least one receptor being connected, and a dielectric sheet covering the down conductor as an insulation.

A lightning protection system for a wind turbine blade of a wind turbine includes a conductive lightning receptor for mounting at the surface of a turbine blade such that a portion of the lightning receptor projects beyond a trailing edge of the turbine blade when mounted at the surface. Another lightning protection system includes a lightning receptor that has a generally elongated shape and that is configured to be mounted such that the greatest dimension of the lightning receptor lies generally parallel to the direction in which the turbine blade is designed to move.

A lightning protection system for a wind turbine blade or aircraft wing includes a glass-reinforced fiber or carbon-reinforced wind turbine blade or aircraft wing having a tip region, a suction side, a pressure side, a leading edge and a trailing edge. A substantially planar sheet of conductive or semi-conductive material is disposed internal to the blade tip region or wing tip region and between the suction side and pressure side. The sheet operates during a lightning discharge to form an electric field control mechanism causing the lightning discharge to attach to the tip region. The sheet is in electrical communication or galvanic connection with a conductive or semi-conductive path such that the electric field control mechanism and the path together operate to protect the wind turbine blade or aircraft wing from damage caused by the lightning strike in the tip region of the wind turbine blade or aircraft wing by controlling an electric field in the tip region caused by the lightning strike.

The invention relates to a wind turbine rotor blade comprising a blade tip and a lightning protection system. The blade includes at least one metallic lightning receptor at the surface of the blade in proximity of the distal end of the blade tip. The blade comprises a blade shell configured partly by a fibre-reinforced laminate, and the blade also comprises an electrically down-conducting element in the form of a metallic mesh. The electrically down-conducting element extends only to a certain distance from the distal end of the tip of the blade, said distance being larger than a distance between the position of the lightning receptor and the distal end of the tip of the blade. It is hereby ensured that a stroke of lightning will strike the receptor more likely than the electrically down-conducting element.

A system and method for automatically inspecting a lightning protection system on a wind turbine is disclosed. The system and method may include a wind turbine having a plurality of blades mounted to a hub, a lightning receptor on each of the plurality of blades, a lightning protection system extending from each of the lightning receptor to an earth grounding grid and a conductor that is part of a testing system extending from at least inside the hub, through the inside of at least one of the plurality of blades and connecting to the lightning receptor, the conductor completing a circuit extending from the lightning receptor to the earth grounding grid. A test current signal may be introduced into the testing system for a leg of the lightning protection system to be tested and an electrical continuity in the circuit using the test current signal may be determined.

The present subject matter is directed to a rotor blade assembly having a rotor blade with a blade tip segment having a blade tip and a blade root segment having a blade root. The blade segments extend in opposite directions from a chord-wise joint. The blade tip segment includes a beam structure extending lengthways that structurally connects with the blade root segment via a receiving section. The assembly also includes a plurality of first bolt joints located at a first end of the beam structure for connecting with the receiving section of the blade root segment. The assembly also includes a lightning protection system with at least one lightning receptor coupled to a lightning receptor cable. The lightning receptor cable is routed from the blade tip to each of the plurality of first bolt joints and to the blade root.

A lightning protection system is provided, typically for use on an outer surface of an aircraft, which includes the use of a lightning protection sheet that includes an electrically conductive film and at least one patterned, electrically non-conductive discriminator layer.

The present disclosure is directed to tip extensions for wind turbine rotor blades and methods of installing same. The method includes removing a removable blade tip of a lightning protection system from the rotor blade so as to expose a down conductor of the lightning protection system. The method also includes securing a conductive extension to the down conductor. Moreover, the method includes sliding the first end of the tip extension over the conductive extension so as to overlap the rotor blade at the tip end. In addition, the method includes securing the removable blade tip to the conductive extension at the second end of the tip extension. Further, the method includes securing the tip extension to the rotor blade.

The invention relates to a wind turbine rotor blade comprising a blade tip and a lightning protection system. The rotor blade includes at least one lightning receptor at the surface of the blade in an external distance (Lex) from the distal end of the blade tip, and a lightning receptor base inside the rotor blade arranged at an first internal distance (Li1) from the distal end of the blade tip. The rotor blade further includes means for changing at least one electric property of the rotor blade at the lightning receptor base, as compared to the electric properties of the ambient air by increasing the electric field supported between the lightning receptor base and the inner surface of the rotor blade. The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing a wind turbine rotor blade.

The present disclosure provides a lightning protection system and a composite structure comprising such a lightning protection system, wherein the lightning protection system comprises a metal foil layer, a plastic layer, and a matrix material.

A lightning protection system is provided, typically for use on an outer surface of an aircraft, which includes the use of a lightning protection sheet that includes an electrically conductive film patterned into a plurality of hill features. The lightning protection sheet may additionally include an electrically non-conductive discriminator layer over the electrically conductive film.

An apparatus comprises a wall, an internal structure, and a fastener. The wall has a conductive surface and a countersunk hole. The countersunk hole passes through the internal structure. The fastener has an interference fit within the countersunk hole.

The invention provides an active type microwave induction lightning protection system. The microwave is utilized to serve as uplink guide, and then the aim of actively guiding the lightning into the ground is achieved. The active type microwave induction lightning protection system is mainly composed of an atmospheric electric field detection device, a data processing device, an induction device and a thunder and lightning protection circuit. The atmospheric electric field detection device is mainly used for detecting the field intensity of an atmospheric electric field in real time; the data processing device is connected with the atmospheric electric field detection device and the induction device; the induction device comprises a lightning arrester, a microwave generation circuit, an antenna and a grounding device; the thunder and lightning protection circuit protects the system from being damaged by lightning currents. Compared with a traditional lightning protection mode, the system solves many problems existing in the traditional lightning protection process, and a lightning protection method which is more active, more reliable and wider in protection range is provided.

The invention discloses a lightning protection system of a wind-driven generator set, relating to a tower support, wherein, a generator cabin is arranged on the upper end of the tower support, a stander is arranged in the cabin, an electric generator is arranged on the stander and is connected with a gear box by a high-speed coupler, and the gear box is connected with a wheel hub with blades by a main shaft. The lightning protection system is characterized in that thunderbolt receptors and conductor devices are respectively arranged in the blades and on the cabin, and electric discharge devices are arranged on the wheel hub, the main shaft, the gear box, the stander and the tower support; and the thunderbolt receptors and the conductor devices are electrically connected with the electric discharge devices which are electrically connected with a grounding device arranged underground. The invention aims at avoiding the damages caused by the momentary extreme current and the voltage of lightning strike to the wind-driven generator set, in particular to a 1.5 MW speed change constant frequency double-fed asynchronous wind-driven generator set, and providing the lightning protection system effectively preventing the lightning strike from damaging the wind-driven generator.

Additional lightning protection system for intermediate wind turbine blade joints comprises a metal fairing that covers the blade connector elements while shielding and protecting the internal connector elements from getting hit by lightning.

A lightning protection system for protecting composite structures and a method of protecting composite structures from lightning strikes. A dielectric ply is fixed above and completely covers metal surface features, e.g., skin fasteners through a composite skin to a wing fuel tank. A conductive ply is fixed above and completely covers the dielectric ply and extends to an external connection to a platform ground. The conductive ply directs current from lightning strikes away from metal surface features, e.g., to the platform ground to preventing sparking in the fuel tank. Both plies may be adhesively backed and sequentially pressed into place.

A rotor blade for a wind turbine is provided. The rotor blade includes a rotor blade body, at least one receptor adapted to be a location for lightning impact, and at least one down conductor connected to the receptor and located within the rotor blade body. The down conductor includes a first conductor connected to the receptor and a ground connection of the wind turbine, and a second insulated conductor connected to the receptor and a non-grounded location of the wind turbine. A path is formed from the ground connection of the first conductor to the non-grounded location of the second insulated conductor. This path facilitates a continuity test used to evaluate a condition of the lightning protection system.

The invention discloses a comprehensive lightning protection system of electric transmission lines of a high tower of a power grid. The comprehensive lightning protection system comprises a transformer substation, a grounded multi-stage surge-preventing device and the three-phase electric transmission lines connected with the power grid are led out of a three-phase port of the transformer outbound end of the transformer substation, each phase line of the three-phase electric transmission lines is connected with a voltage isolator in series, the electric transmission lines connected with the power grid and led out of the output ends of the voltage isolators are connected with the high tower, thunder and lightning arresters are arranged at the top of the high tower and connected with a maintainable ground grid embedded below the tower through the metal tower body, the overhead electric transmission lines are supported through all phase insulator strings connected to the tower in a suspended mode, two sides of the insulator string supporting each phase line are respectively provided with a nanometer magnet resistor, and lightning conductors are arranged at the top of the tower in a supported mode. By means of the technical measures, the multilevel, omni-directional and three-dimensional comprehensive lightning protection system which makes high tower protection as the center, attaches equal importance to thunder and lightning counterattack resistance and thunder and lightning shielding failure resistance and conducts omni-directional thunder and lightning protection on the electric transmission lines and the transformer substation is built, and the lightning trip-out rate can be reduced obviously.

A lightning protection system is provided for a wind turbine. The wind turbine has an electrically grounded structure part, a main shaft electrically and mechanically connected to the grounded structure part, a blade hub rotationally connected via a main bearing to the main shaft and blades connected to the blade hub. The lightning protection system includes a down-conductor attachable inside one of the blades and a high voltage conductor for guiding lightning current, wherein a first end of the high voltage conductor is in electrical communication with the down-conductor. The lightning protection system also includes a high voltage contact attachable inside the main shaft, wherein a second end of the high voltage conductor is in electrical communication with the high voltage contact. Lightning current is guided from the down-conductor via the high voltage conductor to the high voltage contact.