Wind turbine blade protection structure and method of forming the same

1. A wind turbine blade protection structure for protecting a wind turbine blade from lightning, comprising:

a protection layer including a conductive metal foil arranged so as to cover at least a part of a surface of the wind turbine blade,

wherein the protection layer includes an elongated portion extending in a blade longitudinal direction along a trailing edge of the wind turbine blade from a blade root of the wind turbine blade to a blade tip portion, wherein

the wind turbine blade protection structure further comprises, within a range not greater than 35% of a blade length from a blade tip of the wind turbine blade, a separation prevention coating covering a leading-edge side edge portion of the protection layer closer to a leading edge of the wind turbine blade, along the leading-edge side edge portion.

2. The wind turbine blade protection structure according to claim 1 ,

wherein the protection layer is disposed on a pressure surface of the wind turbine blade.

3. The wind turbine blade protection structure according to claim 1 ,

wherein the protection layer includes an annular portion disposed over an entire periphery of a blade root portion of the wind turbine blade so as to be electrically connected to the elongated portion.

4. The wind turbine blade protection structure according to claim 1 ,

wherein the protection layer includes, on a side of the trailing edge, an end portion disposed away from the trailing edge by a predetermined distance.

5. The wind turbine blade protection structure according to claim 1 ,

wherein the protection layer includes a connection portion including a plurality of protection-layer segments having a predetermined width in a direction which intersects with the blade longitudinal direction, the plurality of protection-layer segments being connected in the blade longitudinal direction, and

wherein the plurality of protection-layer segments includes a first protection-layer segment and a second protection-layer segment disposed on a first side and a second side in the blade longitudinal direction, and respective end portions of the first protection-layer segment and the second protection-layer segment are disposed to face each other, and thereby the conductive metal foil of the first protection-layer segment is in contact with the conductive metal foil of the second protection-layer segment.

6. The wind turbine blade protection structure according to claim 5 ,

wherein the predetermined width is from 50 to 300 mm.

7. The wind turbine blade protection structure according to claim 1 ,

wherein the conductive metal foil layer has a thickness of 50 to 300 μm.

8. The wind turbine blade protection structure according to claim 1 ,

wherein the conductive metal foil includes a metal tape, a metal mesh, or a metal layer.

9. A wind turbine blade protection structure for protecting a wind turbine blade from lightning, the wind turbine blade protection structure comprising:

a protection layer including a conductive metal foil arranged so as to cover at least a part of a surface of the wind turbine blade, wherein

the protection layer includes an elongated portion extending in a blade longitudinal direction along a trailing edge of the wind turbine blade from a blade root of the wind turbine blade to a blade tip portion,

the protection layer includes a connection portion including a plurality of protection-layer segments having a predetermined width in a direction which intersects with the blade longitudinal direction, the plurality of protection-layer segments being connected in the blade longitudinal direction,

the plurality of protection-layer segments includes a first protection-layer segment and a second protection-layer segment disposed on a first side and a second side in the blade longitudinal direction, and

respective end portions of the first protection-layer segment and the second protection-layer segment are disposed to face each other, and thereby the conductive metal foil of the first protection-layer segment is in contact with the conductive metal foil of the second protection-layer segment; and

the wind turbine protection structure further comprises an intermediate conductive metal foil attached to a blade surface of the wind turbine blade, with the respective end portions of the first protection-layer segment and the second protection-layer segment overlapping with the intermediate conductive metal foil.

10. A wind turbine blade protection structure for protecting a wind turbine blade from lightning, the wind turbine blade protection structure comprising:

a protection layer including a conductive metal foil arranged so as to cover at least a part of a surface of the wind turbine blade, wherein

the protection layer includes an elongated portion extending in a blade longitudinal direction along a trailing edge of the wind turbine blade from a blade root of the wind turbine blade to a blade tip portion,

the protection layer includes a connection portion including a plurality of protection-layer segments having a predetermined width in a direction which intersects with the blade longitudinal direction with the plurality of protection-layer segments being connected in the blade longitudinal direction,

the plurality of protection-layer segments includes a first protection-layer segment and a second protection-layer segment disposed on a first side and a second side in the blade longitudinal direction,

respective end portions of the first protection-layer segment and the second protection-layer segment are disposed to face each other and thereby the conductive metal foil of the first protection-layer segment is in contact with the conductive metal foil of the second protection-layer segment, and

the connection portion includes a synthetic resin tape attached on the first protection-layer segment and the second protection-layer segment so as to cover the respective end portions of the first protection-layer segment and the second protection-layer segment disposed to face each other, the synthetic resin tape having a width greater than the predetermined width in a direction which intersects with the blade longitudinal direction.

11. A method of forming a wind turbine blade protection structure for protecting a wind turbine blade from lightning, the method comprising:

a step of arranging a protection layer including a conductive metal foil so as to cover a part of a surface of the wind turbine blade; and

a step of forming a separation prevention coating covering a leading-edge side edge portion of the protection layer closer to a leading edge of the wind turbine blade, along the leading-edge side edge portion, within a range not greater than 35% of a blade length from a blade tip of the wind turbine blade, wherein

the step of arranging the protection layer includes arranging the protection layer so as to form an elongated portion extending in a blade longitudinal direction along a trailing edge of the wind turbine blade from a blade root to a blade tip portion of the wind turbine blade.

12. The method of forming a wind turbine blade protection structure according to claim 11 ,

wherein the step of arranging the protection layer includes arranging the protection layer on a pressure surface of the wind turbine blade.

13. The method of forming a wind turbine blade protection structure according to claim 11 ,

wherein the step of arranging the protection layer includes arranging the protection layer so as to form an annular portion over an entire periphery of a blade root portion of the wind turbine blade so as to be electrically connected to the elongated portion.

14. The method of forming a wind turbine blade protection structure according to claim 11 ,

wherein the step of arranging the protection layer includes arranging the protection layer so as to include a connection portion including a plurality of protection-layer segments each having a predetermined width in a direction which intersects with the blade longitudinal direction, the protection-layer segments being connected in the blade longitudinal direction, and

wherein the protection-layer segments of the connection portion include a first protection-layer segment and a second protection-layer segment disposed on a first side and a second side in the blade longitudinal direction, and respective end portions of the first protection-layer segment and the second protection-layer segment are disposed to face each other, and thereby conductive metal foils of the respective protection-layer segments are in contact with each other.