2037 Countermeasure by Metal Coating against FRP Blade Lightning Failure for Wind Turbine Generators
Details
In Japan, with the recent increase in wind power generator installations, the incidence of lightning damage to FRP blades is increasing. Lightning damage is a significant issue in Japan since lightning in Japan seems severer than that in Europe or the US. To resolve this problem, the Kochi University of Technology received a request in 2002 from the Kochi prefectural government to research for lightning protection. We conducted the impact electrical discharge experiment concerning the lightning fracture of the FRP blades, and were able to understand the fracture mechanism and to execute the lightning protection. This report describes the method of the metal coating to the FRP blades as the lightning fracture countermeasure and the result by the impact electrical discharge experiments.
