Development of a Wind Turbine Blade Surface Coating to Reduce Damage due to Lightning

Every year, the global wind industry loses an estimated $100M or more to damage caused by lightning.A new blade coating will reduce the damage to wind turbine blades caused by lightning by promoting the formation of ionization channels over the surface of the turbine blades, providing a safe external path for lightning energy to reach ground and preventing damaging blade punctures.The coating consists of discrete conductive elements embedded in a non-conducting substrate and mixed with a topcoat, which will be applied to the blade surface near the tips to enhance the performance of the lightning protection system.In Phase I, we performed computational simulations to identify appropriate electrical properties for the coating system.We completed a systematic series of experiments that showed that an inexpensive coating system can reduce the flashover voltage by more than 50% on the surface of a turbine blade.This is a requirement for the formation of safe airborne paths for the lightning energy to reach ground and the primary metric of success in Phase I.Successful proof-of-principle experiments at larger scales were performed in a state-of-the-art, lightning test facility.In the proposed Phase II project, we will develop a prototype coating system based on the materials identified in Phase I.The coating system will be integrated with industry-standard topcoat materials to provide for simple application to wind turbine blades.The prototype coating will be put through rigorous high voltage, high-current, and environmental testing in preparation for subsequent field tests.Improved wind turbine lightning protection systems will reduce the cost of wind energy by reducing O&M expenses and minimizing turbine downtime, project risk, and costly insurance claims.These steps will increase wind energy’s competitiveness with traditional fuel sources nationwide, even without federal subsidies, widen adoption nationwide, and increase the nation’s energy security and stability.