Surge Protection for Generator Lines in Wind Turbine

Surge Protective Devices (SPDs), intended to afford protection from electrical surges and spikes, including those caused directly and indirectly by lightning, are utilized as both complete devices and as components within electrical equipment installed in AC and DC power applications.

Wind turbine converts the wind’s kinetic energy into electrical energy. Arrays of large turbines, known as wind farms, are becoming an increasingly important source of renewable energy and are used by many countries as part of a strategy to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.

Wind turbines are tall, isolated towers composed of sensitive electronics, all of which are factors that make lightning a persistent and real threat. A properly installed lightning protection system, however, will intercept the lightning and effectively and safely conduct it to the earth without risking physical destruction to the wind turbine. This issue has become increasingly critical as wind turbine systems become more sophisticated and vulnerable to lightning, and that lightning dangers will increase with turbine height.

According to the updated National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) handbook:“While physical blade damage is the most expensive and disruptive damage caused by lightning, by far the most common is damage to the control system”. In Wind turbine system, there are many vulnerable electronics equipments which be damaged by lightning strikes or and transient over-voltages, such as:

• The control system, include sensors, actuators, and the motors for steering the equipment into the wind etc.
• The electronics, include transformer, frequency converter, switchgear elements, and other expensive, sensitive equipment.
• And Generators, battery subsystem etc.

Properly installed surge protective devices (SPDs) will minimize the potential impact of lightning events.