Wind turbine blade “coating” promises to reduce risk of lightning damage

A Rhode Island based wind turbine technology company has developed a novel wind turbine coating that the company says can “significantly reduce the prevalence of lightning damage to wind turbines”, a risk that is costing the wind energy industry well over $US100 million in damages each year.

Arctura, which was founded in 2015, bills itself as using “technology innovation” to develop “new wind energy solutions to get more from every turn.”

With the increasing number of wind turbines being erected each year has come an associated increase in the number of lightning strikes causing millions worth of damages. This issue will only increase, as the number of turbines increase and as turbines get taller.

Arctura has developed a novel lightning protection coating called ArcGuide which is designed to enhance the performance of the existing lightning protection system built in most wind turbines.

These lightning protection systems are generally passive in nature, ensuring that lightning strikes hitting the blade are transferred to the grounding. A receptor made from metal like copper are built into the blade and are designed to attract lightning and transfer the load to the receptor block.

ArcGuide is a “polyurethane-based topcoat that incorporates a proprietary mixture of discrete elements” that, when applied to the surface of a wind turbine blade in the vicinity of the turbine’s lightning receptor, “facilitates the formation of ionized channels over the surface of the blades during the build-up of a lightning strike, providing a safe external path for lightning to reach the ground receptor and preventing damaging blade punctures.”

Arctura recently signed a technology license agreement with Mankiewicz, a global leader in high-quality coating solutions, which will allow the company to offer the ArcGuide coating as part of its Mankiewicz BladeRep portfolio of high-performance coatings.

“This blade coating breakthrough addresses one of the most important pain points felt by wind farm operators,” said Neal Fine, CEO of Arctura.

“We are very pleased to be working alongside Mankiewicz, the top coatings manufacturer in the industry.  Wind farm operators are more than ready for this product to be on the market and will be pleased to know that it is being offered by a trusted manufacturer known for its durable and effective coatings.”