Accuracies of Location and Estimated Peak Current for Negative Downward Return-Strokes to Wind Turbine Observed by JLDN

Abstract

The Authors observe waveforms of lightning currents by Rogowski coils at Muregaoka wind farm in Kagoshima. We succeeded in observing three sets of the current waveforms of negative downward lightning flashes to a wind turbine on two summer seasons between 2013 and 2014. The mean location errors of those strokes observed by the JLDN are 557m and 316m for first and subsequent strokes, respectively. Information from sensors within 730km from lightning striking point was used in the case that location error was less than 400m. The mean errors of the peak currents estimated by the JLDN were -10% and +10% of the currents measured by the Rogowski coil for the first stroke and the subsequent ones respectively.