Aplicaciones Tecnológicas joins the standards committee CTN 221 – Wind energy generation systems to participate in the development of standards for lightning protection

Aplicaciones Tecnológicas has joined the standards committee CTN 221 – Wind energy generation systems of the Spanish Association for Standardisation (UNE) to participate in the maintenance of the standard UNE-EN IEC 61400-24:2011 – Wind turbines.

Part 24: Protection against lightning strikes.

David Ruiz Muñoz, director of I+D+i of Aplicaciones Tecnológicas S.A. and Susana Polo Martí, head of standardisation and member of the Technical Department for Lightning Protection, are members of the standards committee CTN 221 – Wind energy generation systems since March, both at national (UNE) and international (IEC) level with the aim to provide their experience in lightning protection, storm detection and other standards.

The CTN 221 committee, formed in 2021 to replace subcommittee SC88, is responsible for the standardisation of wind energy generation systems, including wind turbines, onshore and offshore wind energy plants and the interaction with the electrical system(s) to which the power is supplied. These standards address site suitability and resource assessment, design requirements, engineering integrity, modelling requirements, measurement techniques, test procedures, operation and maintenance.

Solutions for the wind energy sector: smart technology for grounding and lightning protection systems

The wind sector is a strategic industry. It is one of the cheapest forms of energy generation and it provides an increasingly stable energy supply. The wind sector, therefore, has a crucial role in the energy transition, a role that is likely to increase in the coming years.

Aplicaciones Tecnológicas S.A. has developed the precise solutions for the efficient management of grounding and lightning protection systems in wind farms, maximising occupational safety and saves operational costs.

ATSTORM® is a local thunderstorm detection smart system that provides reliable warnings thanks to its dual sensing technology (electromagnetic field and local electrostatic field), centralised monitoring and IoT connectivity. The ATSTORM® system provides the maximum possible anticipation to activate preventive measures even when the first lightning strikes occur directly over the area, besides optimising the shutdown time to deactivate these measures while maintaining occupational safety and operational efficiency.

WIND TURBINE SMART LIGHTNING LOGGER is the new smart logger that continuously monitors the electrical activity in the blades of the wind turbines in which it is installed.

This device is a key for identifying possible damage caused by lightning strikes on blades, the maintenance and repair of which in time prevents large economic costs in the future. The equipment provides real-time lightning alerts and provides information on the characteristics of the lightning current in case of an incident.

The SMART EARTHING MONITORING SYSTEM solution enables the efficient management of grounding systems via centralised monitoring of intelligent sensors distributed across the facilities. This monitoring allows real-time detection of critical situations that require corrective maintenance. It also provides data for predictive maintenance, which has a direct impact on the lifetime of all assets connected to the earthing system.

If you would like to know more about Aplicaciones Tecnológicas S.A.’s wind power solutions and its participation in international standards, you can contact us through the following link.

You can also participate in any of our free online training courses on lightning protection in the wind energy sector on our webinar page.