Clarification of the mechanism of wind turbine blade damage taking lightning characteristics into consideration and relevant research project

Abstract

We investigated various types of damages on a wind turbine blades and estimated the possible causes of them. The cause of catastrophic damages such as explosion or falling down is different from that of less serious damages such as a surface tearing. It may be necessary to protect wind turbine blades by means of special measure against severe lightning for example lightning in winter. Also we should clarify the validity of long gap discharge test in the laboratory as the simulation of actual lightning. It leads to establishing appropriate test methods.