Wind Turbines power plants

Lightning and transient voltage protection for wind power plants

Wind power plants are high-cost installations, equipped with elements that are very sensitive to electromagnetic inductions. Besides their own great height, wind turbines are placed in remote isolated locations. Repair or damage due to direct lightning strikes and associated interruption in power supply can result in huge losses. Wind turbines are considered as a "maximal risk" structure for design of a lightning protection solution.

The nature and performance of wind turbines makes almost impossible in practice to deploy a conventional or advanced lightning protection systems. Wind turbines have to be manufactured according to the standard IEC 61400 and the bearings should be able to withstand lightning current. The most effective measure that can be provided to support the IEC 61400 construction is an advanced earthing system and protection against lightning electromagnetic pulses.

Dhruva Technologies designs and installs all the necessary elements for the most efficient lightning protection for wind power plants and the contained electronics.

Components of a wind power plants lightning protection systems:

1. Earthing and bonding system
   1. Support structure earthing system
   2. Equipotential isolation spark gap
2. Lightning detector
3. Overvoltage protection
   1. Type 1 protector at the turbine generator output
   2. Type II protector at the main board input
   3. Type I protector at the main board output
   4. Telephone line protector for ADSL link
   5. Network protector for data link
   6. Coaxial protectors for security cameras
4. Lightning Air Terminal