Effect of Metal Coating on FRP Blade Lightning Failure for Wind Power Generators

In Japan, lightning damage to FRP blades for wind power generators is increasing, together with the increase in wind power generator installation in recent years. In order to solve this issue, the Kochi University of Technology received a request for research on lightning protection from the Kochi prefecture in 2002. After the literatures survey, experiments to protect lightning damage to FRP blade for wind power generators were planned. The specimens prepared for this research are 1/2 size models and two 1/4 parts of the full size 250 kW blade. The method to protect the lightning damage is metal coating. The experiments were conducted mainly in the Toshiba Hamakawasaki High Voltage High Power Testing Laboratory as was made in the previous experiments