Safety Precautions: Lightning Protection and Extreme Weather Response

Safety Precautions: Lightning Protection and Extreme Weather Response

Small wind turbines face special risks from lightning and extreme weather because of their height and location. Taking correct preventive and response measures is the key to protecting equipment safety and preventing secondary disasters.

1. Lightning protection: "insurance" that must be done during installation

Lightning protection is not an optional option, but a safety standard that must be strictly implemented.

Complete grounding system (lifeline):

Standard construction: When pouring the tower foundation, the grounding grid (grounding electrode) must be pre-embedded or laid in accordance with the specifications. Angle steel or steel pipes are usually used to be buried deep underground and connected into a network with flat steel.

Reliable connection: The wind turbine tower, nacelle shell, and the metal shielding layers of all cables must be firmly connected to this grounding grid with thick enough wires to form a complete conductive path.

Purpose: When a lightning strike occurs, it can quickly introduce huge currents into the earth and dissipate them, preventing currents from flowing inside the equipment, thereby protecting fans and electrical appliances, and preventing the rise in ground voltage from endangering people and animals.

Surge Protection (Second Line of Defense):

A lightning surge protector (SPD) should be installed at the controller's input and output terminals, grid-connected interface, etc. It can absorb the lightning surge voltage induced in the line and protect sensitive electronic equipment (such as controllers and inverters) from damage.

2. Response to extreme weather: plans and actions

In the face of extreme weather such as typhoons, blizzards, and hail, it is necessary to prepare in advance and respond correctly.

Typhoon and strong wind weather:

Precaution: After receiving the warning, check whether all bolts of the tower are tightened and whether the cables (if any) are tensioned. Clean up any debris that may have been blown up by the wind.

Trust automatic protection: Modern wind turbines often have automatic yaw or braking protection functions. In strong winds, it will automatically crosswind or shut down, this feature should be trusted.

The safest measure: When a super typhoon is expected, if the system design allows, consider manual remote shutdown and cut off the connection between the controller and the external circuit.

Absolutely prohibited: No one is allowed to approach the wind turbine tower during weather conditions.

Ice-covered (rain, snow and freezing) weather:

Risk: Ice coating on the blades will destroy the balance, leading to increased vibration, sudden drop in efficiency and even mechanical damage. Falling ice is also extremely dangerous.

Response: Usually relies on the anti-icing or de-icing design of the fan itself (some models have it). Without this function, after freezing weather, remote observation is required under safe conditions, and operation can be resumed after the ice layer naturally melts and falls off. Never attempt manual de-icing.

Thunderstorm weather:

In addition to relying on the above lightning protection facilities, when a thunderstorm occurs, personnel should stay away from the area near the grounding electrode of the wind turbine and equipment to prevent electric shock from step voltage.

3. Routine inspection and post-disaster disposal

Regularly check the lightning protection system: Before the rainy season every year, check whether the connection point of the ground wire is rusted or loose. If necessary, ask a professional to test whether the ground resistance is qualified.

Post-disaster safety check: Do not resume operations immediately after extreme weather. A long-distance visual inspection should be carried out first to check whether the tower is obviously tilted, whether the blades are damaged, and whether the lines are broken. After confirming that there is no visible damage, check whether the electrical data is normal through the controller. If any abnormality is found, you must contact professionals for on-site inspection and do not handle it yourself.

To summarize the core of safety: Lightning protection relies on "grounding" and "surge protection", both of which are indispensable; wind protection relies on "fastening" and "automatic protection" to keep people away from the site; ice protection relies on "design" and "patient waiting", don't take risks. Always put personal safety first, rely on professional design and standardized construction to build passive defense, and rely on clear plans and correct operations to proactively respond. Respecting the forces of nature is a prerequisite for enjoying green energy.