Electromagnetic transients due to lightning strikes on wind turbines: A case study

The lightning discharge is one of the two natural sources of electromagnetic interference. Electric and magnetic fields generated by lightning represent a serious hazard to various systems, particularly those containing sensitive electronics. As wind power generation undergoes rapid growth, lightning damages involving wind turbines have come to be regarded with more attention. This paper is concerned with lightning surge propagation in wind turbines. We present a case study, based on a wind turbine with an interconnecting transformer, for the analysis of lightning surges. Computer simulations obtained by using the EMTP-RV code are presented, and conclusions are duly drawn.