Abstract
Wind turbines are more and more often erected in remote areas of the world, in order to exploit better wind conditions. In these areas the cost of failures and repairs can be substantial. For this reason ensuring the lightning performance of the turbines and especially of the blades has become very important.Modern blades are to a large extent manufactured using Carbon Fiber Composite (CFC) structural parts, due to the CFC’s excellent mechanical tensile strength and stiffness, combined with a light weight. However, Carbon Fiber Composites also exhibit highly anisotropic electric conductivities, which require special attention in terms of lightning protection, primarily in what concerns electrical bonding. The present paper presents the latest findings on how to include CFC materials in wind turbine blades into the lightning protection coordination, both in terms of engineering analysis using modern numerical tools, as well as with experimental validation in the lightning test facility. The paper is part of the EU funded project SPARCARB which started January 1st 2015 and which aims at exploring the details of lightning interactions with CFC materials, damage mechanisms, optimization of electrical/thermal properties by adjusting the chemical composition of resin, fiber sizing, weaving techniques, manufacturing processes, etc.
Highlights
Carbon fiber composites are currently being used in wind turbine blades for structural components as spar caps, as illustrated in Figure 1, as the central load carrying structure in blades utilizing the central beam, for connections between metal conductors and Carbon Fiber Composite (CFC), and for heating
A new set of industry-specific requirements arise: since the turbines are often located in remote locations, and some components are difficult or expensive to reach during service, the blades need to be able to operate with limited maintenance
Compared with the damage distribution experienced by Glass Fiber Reinforce Plastic (GFRP) blades [2], the damage distribution in CFC blades appears quite similar, indicating that the same lightning environment and methodologies can be used to assess the lightning attachment point distribution
Summary
Carbon fiber composites are currently being used in wind turbine blades for structural components as spar caps, as illustrated in Figure 1, as the central load carrying structure in blades utilizing the central beam, for connections between metal conductors and CFC, and for heating. Carbon fiber composites are currently being used in wind turbine blades for structural components as spar caps, as illustrated, as the central load carrying structure in blades utilizing the central beam, for connections between metal conductors and CFC, and for heating. In these applications different fiber properties are exploited. A new set of industry-specific requirements arise: since the turbines are often located in remote locations, and some components are difficult or expensive to reach during service, the blades need to be able to operate with limited maintenance For lightning protection, this implies coordinating air terminations, lightning current paths, shorts, surge protection devices and insulation, so that the blade can Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark 15. Combining the probability distribution of having a strike to a given part of the blade [1] with the probability of having a lightning strike of a certain amplitude [3], it is possible to derive the exposure rates for the different parts of the blade [1]
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