US 11,725,632 B2
Surface coating for enhanced lightning protection of wind turbine blades and other composite structures
Neal E. Fine, North Kingstown, RI (US); John A. Cooney, Warwick, RI (US); Christopher S. Szlatenyi, Wakefield, RI (US); Adam H. Janik, Hampton Falls, NH (US); and Pascal Mickelson, Morgantown, WV (US)
Assigned to Arctura, Inc., South Kingstown, RI (US)
Filed by Arctura, Inc., South Kingstown, RI (US)
Filed on Oct. 7, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/496,301.
Application 17/496,301 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/221,396, filed on Apr. 2, 2021, granted, now 11,162,475.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/089,434, filed on Oct. 8, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0112885 A1, Apr. 14, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. F03D 80/30 (2016.01); B05D 7/14 (2006.01)
CPC F03D 80/30 (2016.05) [B05D 7/14 (2013.01); F05B 2230/90 (2013.01); F05B 2280/6003 (2013.01); F05B 2280/6011 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of protecting a wind turbine having a set of blades, each blade having a set of loci suitable for placement of a corresponding set of lightning receptors, against lightning strikes, the method comprising:
applying to an exposed surface of each blade of the set of blades a coating that surrounds at least one lightning receptor locus of the set, wherein the coating comprises a paint mixture including a conductive powder having a concentration by weight in the coating sufficiently low as to prevent formation of a conductive path through the coating but sufficiently high as to foster ionization of air along the coated exposed surface.