Frequency of Upward Lightning Hits to Wind Turbines in Winter

Abstract

In recent years, frequent damages of wind turbines by winter lightning have been reported in the region along the Sea of Japan. It is a serious finding that lightning hits concentrate on wind turbines in this region. The authors investigated the rate of increased frequency of lightning hits on wind turbines due to its construction by using LLS (Lightning Location System) data. As a result, an experimental formula to estimate the increase rate of the frequency of lightning hits on wind turbines as a function of parameters related to the construction condition, namely the height of wind turbines, the height above the sea level and the latitude, is proposed.