Stduy of lightning strike activity in solar power plants

Large-scale solar power plants are installed in large areas due to their structure. This situation causes solar power plants to be affected by atmospheric events. One of the atmospheric phenomena is the lightning phenomenon and involves high frequency pulses. The purpose of this study to simulate a real solar power plant in the PSCAD program and examine the lightning impulse activity based on the two damages thought to be caused by a lightning strike in an established solar power plant. In this context, direct and indirect effects of lightning strikes have been investigated by using real-time data of a solar power plant of 6MW power. In the study, the lightning parameters are based on the IEC 62305 standard. Before the simulation studies were carried out, buried power cables, transformers, ground parameters and high frequency models of photovoltaic panels used in solar power plant were explained and appropriate model choices and approaches were accepted. The study includes real-time transient analysis of lightning strikes ranging from 25kHz to 1MHz with high frequency equivalent models of materials belonging to solar power plants. This situation created the original value of the study. In the simulation studies, the results of the voltage rise and current sharing caused by lightning strikes of different frequencies and different amplitudes in indirect or direct solar power plants were shared. The results were compared with the damage information learned and evaluated. Critical surge arrester points have been determined and proposed for less costly way of impacts.