Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Innovation & Technology S.l.

Juan Madoz Zabalegui

Victor March Nomen

José Manuel Martinez Olmo

Jose Manuel Martinez Olmo

The invention provides a lightning protection system for wind turbine blades with optimized injection means of lightning currents in conductive components of their shells. The injection means comprise a current receptor element () connected to the input cable of lightning currents and arranged over an area of a shell close to an electrically conductive component () and a current injection element (') arranged over the electrically conductive component () and connected to the current receptor element () by at least two distribution cables ().

Lightning system for wind turbine blades with optimized means for injecting lightning currents in conductive components of their shells

The invention provides a lightning receptor arrangement () for a wind turbine blade () comprising at least a self-threading screw () having a head () and a threaded shaft () as a the external metallic receptor element for receiving a lightning strike in one side of the wind turbine blade () and an internal element comprising an electrically conductive block () configured with at least an unthreaded hole () for cooperating with said threaded shaft () and connected to a down conductor () of a grounding arrangement. The internal element is joined to at least a shell () of the wind turbine blade () with an adhesive force capable of withstanding the torque applied to the self-threading screw () for threading it to the unthreaded hole ().

Lighting receptor for a wind turbine blade

The invention provides a wind turbine blade having a Radar Absorbing Material (RAM) and a lightning protection system arranged for guaranteeing the performance of the lightning protection system and the integrity of the RAM. The lightning protection system has lightning receptors located at a tip region and one or two down-conductors disposed inside of the wind turbine blade for driving lightning current to ground. The RAM covers the entire wind turbine blade except the tip region and has at least a functional layer and a reflector layer connected to the one or two down conductors by means of auxiliary cables.

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Sarriguren, Spain

Juan Madoz Zabalegui