Wind Turbines: Possible Lightning Events and Their Effects

Wind power plants are highly insulated towers equipped with sensitive electronic equipment and, due to their locations, are under constant threat of lightning strikes. In protecting wind power plants against the effects of possible lightning strikes, the most effective protection devices stand out as Strikesorb technology. Lightning protection systems with strikesorb technology, which provide unlimited protection against direct lightning effects and subsequent series discharges, operate continuously and definitively protect the external and internal electrical systems of the turbine. Especially in turbines installed on rocky ground, grounding is a serious problem and conventional surge arresters require very low ground resistance; however, strikesorb technology provides superior protection as long as it remains connected to ground, without requiring a very low ground resistance value. As wind turbines become electrically more complex, it becomes inevitable that they become vulnerable to lightning.

The cost of systems that perfectly protect turbine systems against lightning does not exceed 1% of the total investment cost.

Facts About the Lightning Hazard for Wind Turbines

• In a newly installed wind turbine, 85% of fault-related downtime in the first year of operation is caused by lightning.
• In general, the extent of lightning-related damage in an average facility reaches USD 250,000 per year.
• According to research, 80% of wind power plant insurance damage claims are caused by lightning strikes.
• In Germany, the company Energieerzeugungswerke Helgoland suffered USD 540,000 in damage in one year due to a lightning strike and could not receive compensation from insurance. As a result, it decided to cease operations.
• As turbine height increases, the number of lightning strikes increases.
• As the altitude of turbine locations increases, both the number and intensity of lightning strikes increase.
• In turbine locations, it is possible to encounter strikes exceeding 100 kiloampere values by 3–4 times.
• Transformers, cameras, and rectifiers located outside turbines receive lightning-related damage at a rate of 88%.

Some Data on Damage Caused by Lightning to Wind Components

• As a result of a lightning strike, the most sensitive part of the turbine that is usually damaged is the Control Section. This section, which controls the turbine with wind sensors and manages the turbine mechanism, can suffer major economic losses, especially due to blade damage caused by lightning strikes
  
• There are many electronic boards and circuits inside the turbine. In the event of a possible strike, it is common for all of them to fail. Transformer stations, frequency converters, and switchgear components frequently suffer damage as a result of lightning strikes.
  
• Blades are the points of the turbine that receive lightning strikes at a rate of 92%. A possible lightning strike can reach up to 28,000°C. The expansion of air inside the blade due to temperature creates an explosive effect. This temperature causes serious damage to the blade surface and usually breaks the leading and trailing edges.
• Generators and batteries also stand out as points that are frequently damaged inside the turbine as a result of lightning strikes.

Against all these possible damages, it is necessary to protect the electrical equipment of the turbine and the transformers and camera systems located both inside and outside with the correct surge arrester products. In our country, 4 million lightning strikes occur annually. With every lightning event posing a threat of damage, it is necessary to take correct protective measures on site.

The Raycap Strikesorb surge arrester system successfully defends turbines against the threat of lightning by protecting all internal and external turbine equipment and offers the longest operating time. They do not require any updates or maintenance after installation. They provide response speeds up to 100 times faster, such as 1 ns, at the highest kiloampere levels.

You can contact the Yilkomer expert team to select the correct surge arresters for the protection of turbine internal equipment, transformers, and cameras.

Remember, Yilkomer Protects Your Values!