Wind Turbine Blade Graphite Lightning Receptor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lightning protection systems for wind turbine blades often form burrs when struck by lightning, leading to noise during blade rotation and inadequate protection against lightning damage.
Innovation Solution
A lightning protection system where at least a part of the outer surface of the receptor is made of graphite, providing a freely accessible surface that prevents burr formation and enhances protection by using a graphite receptor connected to an electrically conductive lightning conductor extending along the blade's longitudinal direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a metal receptor is used in the lightning protection system, then the electrical conductivity is improved, but burrs are formed during lightning strikes causing noise during blade rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the receptor from metal to graphite (carbon). This material substitution eliminates burr formation during lightning strikes while maintaining sufficient electrical conductivity for effective lightning protection, thereby resolving the contradiction between protection effectiveness and noise generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs graphite, a non-metallic carbon-based material, as the receptor material. This composite material approach provides both the electrical conductivity needed for lightning protection and the mechanical property of not forming burrs during strikes, thus eliminating the noise problem associated with metal receptors.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the outer surface of the receptor is made freely accessible and formed of graphite, then burr formation is prevented and noise is reduced, but the electrical conductivity may be insufficient compared to metal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from metal to graphite, which has sufficient electrical conductivity for lightning protection applications. Graphite's layered structure provides good in-plane conductivity while being freely accessible on the outer surface, eliminating the need for metal while maintaining protection effectiveness.
3Reliability
If a graphite layer is arranged on a metal core, then the electrical conductivity is improved while maintaining the burr-free surface, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the metal core from the receptor structure, using only pure graphite material. This simplification eliminates the need for complex composite construction while maintaining both the electrical conductivity and burr-free properties through the inherent characteristics of graphite.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The graphite receptor effectively prevents damage from lightning strikes and reduces noise during blade rotation by eliminating burr formation, providing superior protection and operational silence.
Implementation Method 1
a lightning conductor made of electrically conductive material extending within the shell body along substantially the entire longitudinal direction of the blade, and wherein the lightning receptor and the lightning conductor are electrically connected by means of a connection area
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a wind turbine blade being a shell body made of a composite material and having a root end and a tip end, an outer surface, a pressure side and a suction side, a trailing edge and a leading edge, and additionally a lightning protection system. The lightning protection system comprising at least one lightning receptor provided with an outer surface arranged freely accessible in, on or at the outer surface of the blade at the tip end 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. At least a part of the outer surface, optionally the whole of the outer surface of the receptor being freely accessible is formed of carbon such as graphite.