Patent · US Active

Wind turbine lightning protection and monitoring systems

US8873214B2 · kind B2 · utility

5Cited by
5References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 13, 2010
Grant dateOct 28, 2014
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 17, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E10/72
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A wind turbine hub (8) and nacelle (4) assembly including lightning conducting means (26, 30, 32, 40) for conducting lightning between the hub (8) and the nacelle (4), the hub (8) being mounted for rotation relative to the nacelle (4) and being adapted to support turbine blades, the hub (8) including a hub conductor (26) for connection to a turbine blade supported by the hub (8), the lightning conducting means including a conductive track (40) and a terminal (30, 32) which confront and are displaceable relative to each other, one of the conductive track (40) and the terminal (30, 32) being mounted on the hub (8) and being electrically connected to the hub conductor (26) and the other of the conductive track (40) and the terminal (30, 32) being mounted on the nacelle (4), the terminal (30, 32) including a terminal main body (30) which is spaced from the conductive track (40) and a sacrificial conductive terminal extension (32) extending from the terminal main body (30) towards the track (40).

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.