# US 11,441,546 B2 · Nacelle cover for improving lightning protection

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- Number: US 11,441,546 B2
- Document ID: US11441546B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/821,360
- Filed: 2020-03-17
- Published: 2020-09-24
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2019-03-22
- Assignees: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S
- Applicants: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S
- Inventors: Henrik Abild Jensen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11441546B2

## CPC

- F03D 80/30: Lightning protection
- F05B 2240/14: Casings, housings, nacelles, gondels or the like, protecting or supporting assemblies there within
- Y02E 10/72: Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
- F03D: WIND MOTORS
- F05B: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

Provided is a wind turbine including: a hub, at least one blade fixed to the hub, a nacelle on which the hub is rotatably mounted for rotating about a rotational axis, a tower on which the nacelle is mounted, a plurality of hitting areas which are subject to be hit by a lightning stroke. The nacelle includes an outer cover having a first plurality of portions including a conductive material and a second plurality of portions including a non-conductive material, the first plurality of portions being arranged along at least a path between the plurality of hitting areas and the tower.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A wind turbine including:
a hub,
at least one blade fixed to the hub,
a nacelle on which the hub is rotatably mounted for rotating about a rotational axis,
a tower on which the nacelle is mounted,
a plurality of hitting areas which are subject to be hit by a lightning strike, wherein at least a first portion of the plurality of hitting areas is located on the at least one blade of the wind turbine and at least a second portion of the plurality of hitting areas is located on a rear nacelle section opposite to the hub,
wherein the nacelle comprises an outer cover having a front section adjacent to the hub, a rear section longitudinally opposite to the hub, and a middle section interposed between the front section and the rear section,
wherein the front section comprises a first conductive material and provides a conductive path between the hub and the tower for guiding the lightning strike from the at least one blade to the tower, the rear section comprises a second conductive material, and the middle section includes conductive portions and at least one non-conductive portion,
wherein the conductive portions define a current path connecting the front section and the rear section, and the at least one non-conductive portion extends between respective conductive portions.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein at least one conductive portion of the conductive portions comprises steel.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the at least one non-conductive portion comprises glass fiber.