System and method for detecting lightning

A lightning detection system, comprising:

• a plurality of sensing devices configured to generate a plurality of sensor signals representative of one or more working state parameters of an object;
• a sensing subsystem comprising one or more sensing modules and configured to:
• extract a plurality of noise signals from the plurality of sensor signals representative of the one or more working state parameters of the object received from the plurality of sensing devices;
• compare the extracted plurality of noise signals with one or more lightning signal profiles to determine existence of one or more lightning noise signals in the extracted plurality of noise signals;
• and
• a lightning signal processing subsystem in operative communication with the sensing subsystem and configured to combine the extracted plurality of noise signals received from the sensing subsystem to generate a composite noise signal based on a first determination of the existence of one or more lightning noise signals in the plurality of extracted noise signals;
• wherein an output indicative of the presence of a lightning strike is generated based on a second determination made using the composite noise signal;
• and
• wherein the lightning noise signals are induced in the sensor signals in response to a lightning strike on the object.

A lightning detection method, comprising:

• combining one or more sensor non-acoustic signals representative of one or more working state parameters to generate a composite signal, wherein the one or more sensor signals are received from plurality of sensing devices disposed on an object;
• extracting noise signals from the composite signal via use of a lightning signal processing subsystem;
• comparing the extracted noise signals with one or more lightning signal profiles to determine existence of lightning noise signals in the extracted noise signals via use of the lightning signal processing subsystem;
• and
• generating an output indicative of a lightning detection event, the detection based on the comparison;
• wherein a lightning strike on the object induces the lightning noise signals in the sensor signals representative of the one or more working state parameters;
• wherein the object comprises a wind turbine, a tower, or an aircraft;
• and
• wherein the one or more working state parameters of the object comprise wind speed, wind direction, rotations per minute, stress, temperature, generation winding, vibration in blades, vibration in tower, power measurement, twist in power cable of a generator, or combinations thereof.

A lightning detection method, comprising:

• extracting a plurality of noise signals from a plurality of sensor signals representative of one or more working state parameters of an object, wherein the plurality of sensor signals are received from a plurality of sensors disposed on the object;
• comparing the plurality of extracted noise signals with one or more lightning signal profiles to determine existence of one or more lightning noise signals in the plurality of extracted noise signals;
• and
• combining the plurality of extracted noise signals to generate a composite noise signal based on a first determination of the existence of one or more lightning noise signals in the plurality of extracted noise signals;
• wherein an output indicative of the presence of a lightning strike is generated based on a second determination made using the composite noise signal;
• and
• wherein a lightning strike on the object induces the lightning noise signals in the sensor signals representative of the one or more working state parameters.

A wind turbine, comprising:

• a plurality of non-acoustic sensing devices disposed on various components of the wind turbine, and configured to generate sensor signals representative of one or more working state parameters of the wind turbine;
• a lightning signal processing subsystem configured to:
• combine the sensor signals representative of the one or more working state parameters received from the plurality of sensing devices to generate a composite signal;
• extract noise signals from the composite signal;
• compare the extracted noise signals with one or more lightning signal profiles to determine existence of lightning noise signals in the extracted noise signals;
• and
• generate an output indicative of a lightning detection event, the detection based on the comparison;
• wherein the lightning noise signals are induced in the sensor signals in response to a lightning strike on the wind turbine;
• and
• wherein the one or more working state parameters of the object comprise wind speed, wind direction, rotations per minute, stress, temperature, generation winding, vibration in blades, vibration in tower, power measurement, twist in power cable of a generator, or combinations thereof.

A kit for detection of lightning, the kit comprising:

• a lightning signal processing subsystem in operational association with a plurality of sensing devices disposed on an object and configured to:
• combine sensor signals representative of one or more working state parameters of the object received from the plurality of sensing devices to generate a composite signal;
• and
• extract noise signals from the composite signal;
• and
• compare the extracted noise signals with one or more lightning signal profiles to determine the existence of lightning noise signals in the extracted noise signals;
• and
• generate an output indicative of a lightning detection event, the detection based on the comparison;
• wherein the object comprises a wind turbine, a tower, or an aircraft;
• and
• wherein the one or more working state parameters of the object comprise wind speed, wind direction, rotations per minute, stress, temperature, generation winding, vibration in blades, vibration in tower, power measurement, twist in power cable of a generator, or combinations thereof.