Laser Lightning Protection for Wind Farm Coverage Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lightning protection systems for wind turbines in wind farms are insufficient in effectively protecting against lightning damage.
Innovation Solution
A lightning protection system comprising a femtosecond laser and static electricity sensor, with a control unit to activate the laser when electrostatic potential exceeds a threshold, and optional detection devices to assess the probability of static or flying elements crossing the laser beam, creating an artificial lightning rod to divert lightning energy to the ground.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If traditional lightning rods or lightning pads are used to protect wind turbines, then the protection coverage is limited to small areas, but the system complexity remains low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional passive mechanical lightning rods with an active optical system using femtosecond lasers to generate plasma channels in the air. This substitution enables lightning protection over much larger areas by creating invisible conductive pathways through the atmosphere, extending protection from meter-scale to hundred-meter-scale coverage without proportionally increasing system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters by using ultra-short duration (femtosecond) laser pulses with extremely high peak power to ionize air molecules and create plasma channels. This parameter change allows the system to establish conductive pathways through the atmosphere that can guide lightning strikes away from wind turbines, significantly expanding the effective protection area
2Reliability
If femtosecond laser is activated continuously to maintain protection, then the protection reliability is high, but the energy consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic pulsed operation of the femtosecond laser rather than continuous operation. The laser is activated in short bursts to create plasma channels only when needed for lightning protection, significantly reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining protection reliability through strategic timing of pulse emissions during high-risk periods
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses static electricity sensors to autonomously detect approaching thunderstorms and automatically triggers laser activation when protection is needed. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for continuous operation by having the system monitor environmental conditions and activate only when thunderstorm conditions are detected, optimizing the balance between reliability and energy consumption
3Object-affected harmful factors
If detection devices are added to assess probability of elements crossing laser beam, then the safety against flying objects is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces detection devices as intermediary components that monitor the environment for flying objects or birds in the laser beam path. These intermediaries provide safety assessment by detecting potential hazards before they can be affected by the laser, allowing the system to pause or adjust operation to avoid harmful effects on living creatures while maintaining protection functionality
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
Enhances protection of wind turbines by diverting lightning energy away from the turbines, reducing damage and extending protection to a larger area, while minimizing interference with flying objects.
Implementation Method 1
a femtosecond laser configured for emitting pulses towards the sky... the wavelength of the laser beam emitted by the femtosecond laser is comprised from 850nm to 1200nm, preferably from 995nm to 1005nm
Implementation Method 2
The use of a static electricity sensor enables detecting an approaching thunderstorm and the use of a femtosecond laser in combination with a lightning collector enables providing an improved lightning collector capable of protecting a large area against lightnings
Implementation Method 3
a lightning collector linked to the earth, for example via an earthing cable... configured to forward the energy of the lightning towards the ground
Implementation Method 4
at least one static electricity sensor arranged within the wind farm and configured for measuring an electrostatic potential
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3a~3c
Figure 4
AI summary
The present invention refers to a lightning protection system (1) for protecting a wind farm (10) comprising a plurality of wind turbines (T1...T16), the lightning protection system (1) comprising: - at least one protecting equipment (11) comprising: - a lightning collector (13) linked to the ground (17), for example via an earthing cable (18), - a femtosecond laser (15) configured to emit a laser beam towards the sky, - at least one static electricity sensor (21) arranged within the wind farm (10) and configured for measuring an electrostatic potential, - a control unit (23) connected to the at least one femtosecond laser (15) and to the at least one static electricity sensor (21), wherein the control unit (23) is configured: - for comparing the electrostatic potential measured by the at least one static electricity sensor (21) with a predetermined minimum threshold and, - for activating the at least one femtosecond laser (15) when the measured electrostatic potential is higher than the predetermined minimum threshold.