An experimental study on fire ignition in collector cable in wind power generation system caused by direct lightning strike

A separable connector is used for the power cables and apparatuses in renewable energy systems. The shield of the collector cable is sometimes an open circuit at one end to reduce power loss due to the shield current. However, this has a disadvantage from the viewpoint of lightning protection. The semiconductive part of the separable connector is grounded for safety. The ground potential rise due to a direct lightning strike to a wind tower sometimes damages the collector cables and power apparatuses in the wind tower. Combustion in a cable is one of the most serious types of lightning‐caused damage. This paper describes an experimental study on fire ignition in a collector cable caused by a ground potential rise due to a direct lightning strike to a receptor. The mechanism leading to fire ignition is discussed based on the experimental results. This paper also proposes a countermeasure against such fire ignition.