Patents by Inventor Angela Thwaites

Angela Thwaites has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11933273
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade comprising a lightning protection system, which is at least partly disposed in an inboard portion of the blade. The lightning protection system comprises a down conductor cable having root and tip portions having insulation with different electrical breakdown voltages. The lightning protection system may comprise a down conductor cable portion and a supporting component to hold the cable portion in free space in a position near or on a camber line of the blade aerofoil section, so that the cable portion is spaced apart from at least one electrically conductive structural component; and/or a plurality of inboard down conductor cables and a diverging electrical junction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventors: Nathan A. Brilliant, Lasse Lykkegaard, Angela Thwaites
  • Publication number: 20230272780
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade comprising a lightning protection system, which is at least partly disposed in an inboard portion of the blade. The lightning protection system comprises a down conductor cable portion and a supporting component to hold the cable portion in free space in a position near or on a camber line of the blade aerofoil section, so that the cable portion is spaced apart from at least one electrically conductive structural component. The lightning protection system may comprise a plurality of inboard down conductor cables and a diverging electrical junction; and/or a down conductor cable having root and tip portions having insulation with different electrical breakdown voltages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: Nathan A. Brilliant, Lasse Lykkegaard, Angela Thwaites
  • Publication number: 20230272781
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade comprising a lightning protection system, which is at least partly disposed in an inboard portion of the blade. The lightning protection system comprises a down conductor cable having root and tip portions having insulation with different electrical breakdown voltages. The lightning protection system may comprise a down conductor cable portion and a supporting component to hold the cable portion in free space in a position near or on a camber line of the blade aerofoil section, so that the cable portion is spaced apart from at least one electrically conductive structural component; and/or a plurality of inboard down conductor cables and a diverging electrical junction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: Nathan A. Brilliant, Lasse Lykkegaard, Angela Thwaites
  • Publication number: 20230272779
    Abstract: A wind turbine blade comprising a lightning protection system, which is at least partly disposed in an inboard portion of the blade. The lightning protection system comprises a plurality of inboard down conductor cables and a diverging electrical junction. The lightning protection system may comprise a down conductor cable having root and tip portions having insulation with different electrical breakdown voltages and/or a down conductor cable portion and a supporting component to hold the cable portion in free space in a position near or on a camber line of the blade aerofoil section, so that the cable portion is spaced apart from at least one electrically conductive structural component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: Nathan A. Brilliant, Lasse Lykkegaard, Angela Thwaites
  • Patent number: 11592007
    Abstract: A wind turbine rotor blade has a spar cap including conductive material, and a lightning conductor extending over the spar cap. There is a non-conductive layer between the lightning conductor and the spar cap. An equipotential bonding element electrically bonds the lightning conductor to the spar cap. The non-conductive layer is discontinuous to define a gap, and the equipotential bonding element extends through the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
    Inventors: Angela Thwaites, Toby Collard, Robert Hunter
  • Publication number: 20220003215
    Abstract: A wind turbine rotor blade has a spar cap including conductive material, and a lightning conductor extending over the spar cap. There is a non-conductive layer between the lightning conductor and the spar cap. An equipotential bonding element electrically bonds the lightning conductor to the spar cap. The non-conductive layer is discontinuous to define a gap, and the equipotential bonding element extends through the gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Inventors: Angela Thwaites, Toby Collard, Robert Hunter
  • Publication number: 20210404443
    Abstract: A wind turbine rotor blade spar cap includes a stack of layers of conductive material. An intermediate layer is bonded between adjacent layers of the conductive material. The intermediate layer includes a portion of conductive material which is electrically coupled to the adjacent layers of conductive material so as to equipotentially bond the adjacent layers of the conductive material via the intermediate layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Angela Thwaites, Paul Badger