Test and simulation of lightning current distribution on a wind turbine blade

Design of the lightning protection system (LPS) of complex wind turbine blades must take into account how current is distributed along possible paths to ground. The flow of lightning currents can result in overvoltages which in turn can ignite sparks and deposit enough energy to produces severe damages. In addition, blades include several electric circuits such as signalization, sensors and controls that need to be considered. Test and simulation results of current distribution test of a wind turbine blade are presented in this paper. The effects of the carbon laminates, conductivity and connections will be discussed.