Mitigating Lightning Strikes on GFRP Wind Blades: A Simulation Study on Inner Protection Layer Impact

Lightning strikes on Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) wind blades pose a significant threat to the safe operation of wind turbines, leading to damages such as ablation, delamination, and puncture. These issues stem from electrical breakdown triggered by secondary upward leader inception and space charge accumulation on the GFRP blade surface. In this study, a comprehensive fluid dynamic model is developed to study the impact of an inner protection layer on streamer discharges in an air gap with a GFRP plate. After simulation verification, it was confirmed that in scenarios involving the use of conductor plates or resin embedded with ECF, streamers consistently develop along the surface during the discharge process. Secondary streamers do not occur on the lower surface of the GFRP laminate.