Lightning susceptibility analysis of cables in a wind turbine

This paper examines the electromagnetic interference (EMI) effects related to a wind turbine hit by lightning. Cables located inside the grounded metallic body of a wind turbine are the subject of focus during the numerical analysis process. In order to assess the interference levels on the cables due to a lightning strike on the turbine, the analysis results include transient currents along the various cable shields, cores and bonding wires, as well as the electromagnetic fields inside and outside of wind turbine. The structure of the wind turbine and its grounding system are modeled using conducting wires, solid metallic surfaces and wire-surface junctions. The computations are performed using an efficient Method of Moments (MoM) numerical tool based on surface-wire integral equations for a stratified medium. Numerical results based on the combined surface-wire modeling technique demonstrate clearly that shield cables can provide a good protection against lightning effects.