SWIRL · Science for WInd turbine Resilience to Lightning

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners. CORDIS does not always give exact coordinates for projects before 2014. These points are placed at city or country level.

Project objective

Lightning poses significant risks to both ground-based and airborne structures, including their electrical and electronic systems. Wind turbines (WTs) are particularly vulnerable due to their height, the use of modern composite materials, and the increasing integration of sensitive electronic equipment. As wind power becomes a cornerstone of our carbon-neutral future, lightning damage to WTs already costs over €100 million annually worldwide - expected to rise with the expansion of wind farms and advancements in turbine technology. Despite these challenges, fundamental questions remain about lightning initiation, multiscale physical mechanisms, and the processes governing leader attachment to turbine blades.The SWIRL Doctoral Network introduces a multidisciplinary consortium of academic and industrial partners to address these challenges by advancing knowledge and developing innovative solutions for WT lightning protection. The network will deliver a cutting-edge, bespoke doctoral training programme, combining a scientific approach with practical technological applications, SWIRL integrates diverse methodologies, including multi-instrumental lightning observations in a WT, advanced high-voltage laboratory testing, state-of-the-art computational modelling, and fostering a unique environment for cross-disciplinary collaboration. The network bridges meteorology, electrical discharge physics, materials science, and electrical engineering, enabling researchers to tackle lightning-related challenges at the intersection of these fields. The programme aims to produce the first generation of experts combining such expertise, to ensure the resilience of wind energy systems and other critical infrastructures. With a strong focus on non-academic involvement, SWIRL ensures that researchers gain exposure to industrial challenges while contributing to solutions that directly address sector needs, this way enhancing their career prospects in both academic and industry sectors.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

• UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE CATALUNYA · BARCELONACoordinatorSpain
• BRISTOL INDUSTRIAL AND RESEARCH ASSOCIATES LIMITED · BristolUnited Kingdom
• CARDIFF UNIVERSITY · CARDIFFUnited Kingdom
• DANMARKS TEKNISKE UNIVERSITET · Kongens LyngbyDenmark
• DEHN SE · NeumarktCity levelGermany
• DENA DESARROLLOS SL · TerrassaSpain
• ENCRO · ZagrebCity levelCroatia
• MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · CambridgeUnited States
• METEORAGE · PauCity levelFrance
• RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT GRONINGEN · GroningenNetherlands
• SIEMENS GAMESA RENEWABLE ENERGY AS · BrandeDenmark
• STICHTING NEDERLANDSE WETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK INSTITUTEN · UtrechtNetherlands
• SVEUCILISTE U ZAGREBU FAKULTET ELEKTROTEHNIKE I RACUNARSTVA · ZAGREBCroatia
• Sandia Corporation · AlbuquerqueUnited States
• TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT DORTMUND · DortmundGermany
• TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT EINDHOVEN · EindhovenNetherlands
• UNITED KINGDOM RESEARCH AND INNOVATION · SWINDONUnited Kingdom
• UNIVERSITY OF BATH · BATHUnited Kingdom
• VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S · AARHUSDenmark

Links

• View on CORDIS
• DOI: 10.3030/101311543