Analysis of Factors Affecting the Lightning Protection Performance of 35kV Wind Farm Overhead Collector Line Arresters

Since the 35kV wind farm's collection lines are located in mountainous areas with high lightning density, more comprehensive lightning protection measures are necessary to ensure effective protection. A lightning strike model and line structure were established using the Simulink platform. Compared to the ATP platform used in existing research, Simulink offers a better human-computer interaction interface, richer functions, and easier programming design. The factors affecting the lightning protection effectiveness of EGLA and gapless lightning arresters on 35kV wind power lines were analyzed, including the residual voltage of arresters, the installation density, and tower grounding resistance. The results indicate that reducing the residual voltage of lightning arresters by about 30%, installing arresters on a phase-by-phase basis, and lowering tower grounding resistance to 10 Ω can significantly enhance the lightning protection effect. Furthermore, comparing the lightning protection effects of series gap and gapless lightning arresters under different conditions revealed that installing gapless arresters on interval towers results in lower peak voltages on insulators without arresters, leading to better protection. The simulation results offer a theoretical and practical basis for enhancing the lightning protection of the 35kV wind farm collection line.