Case Study: Eliminating Wind Turbine Blade Damage with Retrofit Lightning Protection
Wind farm located in a harsh lightning environment on the Sea of Japan coastline
Background: A Challenging Wind Energy Environment
An onshore wind farm located on the coastline of the Sea of Japan experienced constant lightning-related blade damage, resulting in costly, unscheduled repairs and reduced power production.
The area is known for intense lightning activity to the extent that the wind farm’s location is considered a high-risk operational environment. Prior to mitigation efforts, turbines on the site experienced repeated and severe blade strikes.
Compromised Blade Integrity
The existing, factory-installed lightning protection system failed to prevent blade damage. Severe strikes caused visible damage and internal delamination, compromising structural integrity and performance. The damaged blades experienced additional turbulence and lightning activity as a consequence.
The operations team sought a reliable, retrofit solution to maintain uptime and protect equipment investments, and decided to evaluate StrikeTape from Weather Guard Lightning Tech.
Note: a more in-depth article about this StrikeTape installation is available as a Weather Guard Lightning Tech article here.
Solution: Weather Guard StrikeTape Lightning Protection System (LPS)
The wind farm installed StrikeTape segmented lightning diverter strips as a retrofit on turbine blades across the site.
The highly-conductive, surface-mounted lightning diverter is designed to safely channel lightning energy away from blade structures.
The quick, non-invasive installation caused only minimal disruption to operations.
Results
Although lightning activity remained high in the 8-month period following StrikeTape’s installation, with 96 recorded strikes hitting turbines, zero lightning damage was recorded to the turbines during the same 8-month, post-installation period.
Full blade protection was observed across multiple storm events, and the wind farm experienced improved equipment reliability and reduced maintenance costs.
Conclusion: An Effective, Retrofit Solution
StrikeTape proved effective, practically eliminating lightning damage on wind turbine blades operating on the coastline of the Sea of Japan, known as one of the world’s most extreme lightning zones.
For wind farm operators facing frequent lightning strikes and high maintenance costs, StrikeTape offers a tested and effective retrofit solution.
Download the full case study here and find technical specification here.
For more information about StrikeTape, contact Weather Guard Lightning Tech.
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