Lightning Protection of Floating Photovoltaic Power Plants—Simulation Analysis of Sample Solutions
Photovoltaic power plants are gaining in popularity and availability every year, resulting in a massive increase in their number and size. However, each such investment involves allocating large land areas, the cost of which may be high. For this reason, there has been an increasing interest in the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/10/4222 |
| _version_ | 1797600243026493440 |
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| author | Konrad Sobolewski Emilia Sobieska |
| author_facet | Konrad Sobolewski Emilia Sobieska |
| author_sort | Konrad Sobolewski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Photovoltaic power plants are gaining in popularity and availability every year, resulting in a massive increase in their number and size. However, each such investment involves allocating large land areas, the cost of which may be high. For this reason, there has been an increasing interest in the use of post-industrial wastelands in the form of artificial water reservoirs which often occupy large areas. Because their use as places of recreation can be dangerous for people, it is a cheap alternative for the foundation of a floating photovoltaic power plant. In addition, it has an advantage over the land version in that it is possible to produce a more significant amount of energy by using the sun’s rays reflected from the water’s surface. Despite these undeniable advantages, such a structure poses several technological challenges. This article focuses on the aspect of lightning protection, which is particularly important due to the structure’s location in the open, and also a specific ground type with noticeably different mechanical and electrical characteristics than typical soil. Aspects such as the lightning hazard, arrangement of lightning rods, down conductors, lightning equipotential bonding, and various earthing configurations are discussed. The presented analysis is based on geometric models and simulations made in the Ansys/Maxwell 3D environment and is supplemented with calculations in Matlab/Simulink. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T03:45:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7020fe3b5c5946db9965b2dad5808d53 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T03:45:45Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-7020fe3b5c5946db9965b2dad5808d532023-11-18T01:14:37ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732023-05-011610422210.3390/en16104222Lightning Protection of Floating Photovoltaic Power Plants—Simulation Analysis of Sample SolutionsKonrad Sobolewski0Emilia Sobieska1Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-661 Warsaw, PolandFaculty of Electrical Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-661 Warsaw, PolandPhotovoltaic power plants are gaining in popularity and availability every year, resulting in a massive increase in their number and size. However, each such investment involves allocating large land areas, the cost of which may be high. For this reason, there has been an increasing interest in the use of post-industrial wastelands in the form of artificial water reservoirs which often occupy large areas. Because their use as places of recreation can be dangerous for people, it is a cheap alternative for the foundation of a floating photovoltaic power plant. In addition, it has an advantage over the land version in that it is possible to produce a more significant amount of energy by using the sun’s rays reflected from the water’s surface. Despite these undeniable advantages, such a structure poses several technological challenges. This article focuses on the aspect of lightning protection, which is particularly important due to the structure’s location in the open, and also a specific ground type with noticeably different mechanical and electrical characteristics than typical soil. Aspects such as the lightning hazard, arrangement of lightning rods, down conductors, lightning equipotential bonding, and various earthing configurations are discussed. The presented analysis is based on geometric models and simulations made in the Ansys/Maxwell 3D environment and is supplemented with calculations in Matlab/Simulink.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/10/4222lightning protectionovervoltage protectionfloating photovoltaic power plantgroundingmodelingsimulations |
| spellingShingle | Konrad Sobolewski Emilia Sobieska Lightning Protection of Floating Photovoltaic Power Plants—Simulation Analysis of Sample Solutions Energies lightning protection overvoltage protection floating photovoltaic power plant grounding modeling simulations |
| title | Lightning Protection of Floating Photovoltaic Power Plants—Simulation Analysis of Sample Solutions |
| title_full | Lightning Protection of Floating Photovoltaic Power Plants—Simulation Analysis of Sample Solutions |
| title_fullStr | Lightning Protection of Floating Photovoltaic Power Plants—Simulation Analysis of Sample Solutions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lightning Protection of Floating Photovoltaic Power Plants—Simulation Analysis of Sample Solutions |
| title_short | Lightning Protection of Floating Photovoltaic Power Plants—Simulation Analysis of Sample Solutions |
| title_sort | lightning protection of floating photovoltaic power plants simulation analysis of sample solutions |
| topic | lightning protection overvoltage protection floating photovoltaic power plant grounding modeling simulations |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/10/4222 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT konradsobolewski lightningprotectionoffloatingphotovoltaicpowerplantssimulationanalysisofsamplesolutions AT emiliasobieska lightningprotectionoffloatingphotovoltaicpowerplantssimulationanalysisofsamplesolutions |