Wind Turbine Blade Lightning Arrester Mounting to Prevent Flashover

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing lightning protection systems for wind generator blades suffer from issues such as unstable contact between the lightning arrester and arrester base, leading to flashover and melting, difficulty in accurate positioning, and a strong upward leader capability that can damage the blade.

Innovation Solution

A lightning protection apparatus with a coated insulation layer, threaded holes, and a magnetic body to ensure stable connection and positioning, featuring a cylindrical base and lead tube with passivated corners to minimize upward leader emission and enhance contact area, using a magnetic sheet for precise mounting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If lightning arresters are connected to bases using bolts, then the connection is mechanically secure, but flashover occurs and high temperature causes melting and blade burn

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconnection strengthVSAvoidflashover and thermal damage

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the bolt connection component from the lightning arrester-base interface, replacing it with a direct integrated connection. This extraction eliminates the bolt as a source of flashover and thermal damage while maintaining mechanical security through the integrated structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The lightning arrester and base are merged into a single integrated component, eliminating the interface between separate parts. This merging removes the flashover-prone bolt connection while maintaining structural integrity through the unified design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If lightning arresters are integrated directly to bases, then flashover is reduced, but positioning accuracy during mounting deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflashover reductionVSAvoidpositioning accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Positioning holes are pre-formed in the base at precise locations before the lightning arrester is mounted. This preliminary action ensures accurate positioning during installation while maintaining the integrated flashover-reduced connection design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Positioning holes serve as an intermediary feature that facilitates accurate alignment and positioning of the lightning arrester on the base, enabling manufacturing precision without compromising the integrated connection design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the base has strong upward leader capability, then lightning attraction is improved, but blade damage increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelightning attraction capabilityVSAvoidblade damage

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful strong upward leader capability into a beneficial feature by designing the integrated base to attract lightning while the integrated connection ensures safe current conduction. The same structural feature that creates upward leaders is used to channel lightning current safely through the integrated path, preventing blade damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

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 solution ensures reliable lightning current conduction without flashover or melting, reducing damage to the wind generator blade by stabilizing the connection and improving positioning accuracy.

Implementation Method 1

a magnetic body is disposed at a position of the threaded hole

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMagnetic force: Magnetism

Data Source

PatentEP4464892B1Lightning protection device for wind turbine blades and mounting method therefor

Publication Date: 2026.01.28 ENVISION ENERGY TECHNOLOGY PTE LTD

Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6~7

AI summary

Disclosed in the present invention is a lightning protection apparatus for a wind generator blade, including a lightning arrester and a lightning arrester base. The lightning arrester includes a connecting portion, a lightning arresting portion, and a positioning portion, where the lightning arresting portion is configured to arrest a lightning, an external thread is formed on a surface of the connecting portion and configured to be connected to the lightning arrester base, and the positioning portion is disposed between the connecting portion and the lightning arresting portion, such that after the connecting portion is screwed into a threaded hole, the positioning portion can fit with a recess in the threaded hole in shape. The lightning arrester base is configured to be connected to the lightning arrester and lead out a lightning current received by the lightning arrester during lightning arresting, and includes an insulation layer and at least one threaded hole, where the insulation layer is disposed on a surface of the lightning arrester base, the at least one threaded hole is formed on a base surface of the lightning arrester base facing a wind generator blade, a length direction of the threaded hole is perpendicular to the base surface, the threaded hole fits with the external thread, and the recess that can fit with the positioning portion in shape is provided at an end part of the threaded hole close to the base surface.