Abstract: A glass-reinforced fiber or carbon-reinforced wind turbine blade having a suction side and a pressure side includes a tip portion adapted with an electric field control region disposed solely on or within the tip portion. The electric field control region is in electrical communication with or galvanically connected to an electric discharge conduction mechanism, wherein the electric field control region and the electric discharge conduction mechanism together operate to protect a wind turbine and its associated blade(s) from damage due to a lightning strike at the tip of the wind turbine blade(s) by controlling an electric field at the tip portion(s) caused by the lightning strike.

Abstract: A micro-electromechanical (MEMS) current sensing apparatus includes a carrier portion, an optical portion disposed on the carrier portion, the optical portion including an optical path and a magneto-sensitive element within the optical path, a light source disposed on the carrier portion in operative communication with a first end of the optical path, and a photo-detector disposed on the carrier portion in operative communication with a second end of the optical path.