Lightning protection system with integrated anti-icing system for wind turbine blades

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9797381-B2
Application number	US-201414492678-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2014
Priority date	Oct 3, 2013
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

Lightning protection system (LPS) with an integrated anti-icing system for wind turbine blades that comprises a smart protection system ( 10 ), an integrated IPS characterized by some conductive sheets ( 13 ) embedded in the carbon laminate of the wind turbine blade ( 1 ), some overvoltage dischargers ( 11 ) installed between the conductive sheets ( 13 ) of the IPS and the downlead cable ( 2 ) for the lightning protection system (LPS) and an external receptor frame ( 17 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lightning protection system with an integrated anti-icing system for wind turbine blades comprising one or various conductive sheets ( 13 ) embedded in the laminate of a blade ( 1 ) and equipped with electrodes ( 14 ) fed from a root ( 6 ) of the blade ( 1 ) through power supply cables ( 15 ), wherein the lightning protection system (LPS) comprises:
at least one receptor ( 7 ) connected to a downlead cable ( 2 ) grounded at the blade root ( 6 ), and
a protection system ( 10 ) that enables system operation in a heating mode or a lightning protection mode to disable the heating mode and enable the lightning protection mode whenever detecting a lightning strike, wherein at least one overvoltage discharger ( 11 ) directly connects the electrodes ( 14 ) connected to the conductive sheets ( 13 ) to the downlead cable ( 2 ) of the lightning protection system.

2. Lightning protection system with an integrated anti-icing system for wind turbine blades according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive sheets ( 13 ) are embedded longitudinally in the blade laminate ( 1 ).

3. Lightning protection system with an integrated anti-icing system for wind turbine blades according to claim 1 wherein the conductive sheets ( 13 ) are embedded transversally in the blade laminate ( 1 ).

4. Lightning protection system with an integrated anti-icing system for wind turbine blades according to claim 1 , comprising an external receptor frame ( 17 ) on the blade surface ( 1 ) that encompasses the conductive sheets ( 13 ) either fully or partially and is connected directly to the downlead cable ( 2 ) of the lightning protection system.

5. Lightning protection system for wind turbine blades with anti-icing systems according to claim 4 , wherein the external receptor frame ( 17 ) is mounted leaving a gap between the conductive sheets ( 13 ) and the external receptor frame ( 17 ).

6. Lightning protection system with an integrated anti-icing system for wind turbine blades according to claim 1 , wherein the protection system ( 10 ) is located at the blade root ( 6 ) and is configured to:
modify the operation of the system on detection of a nearby lightning strike,
switch from the heating mode to the lightning protection mode,
connect the power supply cables ( 15 ) of the conductive sheets ( 13 ) and the downlead cable ( 2 ) of the lightning protection system, and
disconnect the power supply cables ( 15 ) of the conductive sheets ( 13 ) from the electrical power supply at the root ( 6 ) of the blade ( 1 ) and connecting the power supply cables ( 15 ) to the downlead cable ( 2 ) of the lightning protection system.

7. Lightning protection system with an integrated anti-icing system for wind turbine blades according to claim 6 comprising a connection box ( 12 ) that operates as a fuse if the smart protection system ( 10 ) fails to detect a lightning strike.

Assignees

• Gamesa Innovation & Tech Sl

Inventors

• Iriarte Eleta Javier
• Moriana Garcia Irune
• Arocena De La Rua Ion
• Hermosilla Azanza Inaki
• Alli Onos Irene

Classifications

• F03D80/40

  Ice detection; De-icing means · CPC title

• Y02E10/72

  Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction · CPC title

• F03D11/0025 Primary

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F03D80/30 Primary

  Lightning protection · CPC title