Wind turbine fires pose a significant global problem, leading to substantial financial losses. However, due to limited open discussions and lax regulations in the wind power industry, progress in addressing this issue has been hindered. This study aims to shed light on the fire risks associated with wind turbine nacelles and blades, while also exploring preventive measures and the latest fire detection and extinguishing technologies. The research conducted in this study involves a comprehensive investigation of various case studies, utilizing causal examination to identify common failure forms and their roles in fire incidents. Additionally, typical hazards, with a focus on fire incidents, in wind turbines are diagnosed. The primary causes of these fires were determined to be lightning strikes and hydraulic faults, often exacerbated by the presence of combustible materials. To conclude, the study includes a survey that encompasses education, knowledge analysis, and real-life accident experiences to assess fire risks and prevention measures in wind turbines. The participation of experts from wind farms, including those from the People's Republic of Bangladesh and other countries, adds valuable insights. The findings from this study serve as a crucial resource for enhancing safety standards and mitigating fire incidents within the wind power industry.

To address the flammability of cotton fabrics, an innovative flame-retardant system based on synergistic action between amino acid-derived bio-based flame retardants and silica sol has been developed. Using L-lysine and urea as nitrogen sources, and phosphoric acid as an acid source, a biomass flame retardant—the L-lysine-phosphoric acid-urea complex (LPU)—was successfully synthesized. This complex was then combined with dicyandiamide (DCD) to form the LPU/DCD solution. Through impregnation-drying, SiO₂ sol and LPU/DCD solution were sequentially applied to the cotton fabric surface, constructing an integrated coating of phosphorus, nitrogen, and silicon elements. The composite flame-retardant solution was coated onto the cotton fabric surface using the impregnation-drying method. Functional groups, surface chemical composition, matrix crystal structure, microstructure, surface elemental composition, and distribution were characterized for both untreated and treated cotton fabrics using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). Results indicate that SiO₂-LPU/DCD@COT exhibits optimal flame retardancy, with a significantly increased initial pyrolysis temperature and a residual carbon content as high as 53.37%. Its limiting oxygen index (34.3%) improved by 86.41% compared to the original cotton fabric (18.4%), achieving a non-combustible level. Its pHRR (32.04 kW/m²), THR (4.95 MJ/m²), and FIGRA (0.45 kW/m²·s) decreased by 86.80%, 49.07%, and 94.07%, respectively, compared to the original cotton fabric. with the highest SE value reaching 1.42 (≥ 1.0), indicating excellent synergistic flame retardancy between SiO₂ and LPU-DCD. This study provides a novel strategy for preparing bio-based flame-retardant cotton fabrics.

The sol-gel process has been applied to cotton fabrics to cover the fibers with a silica-based film, which can improve their thermal oxidation and combustion behaviors. Silica sol, silane coupling agent 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (KH560) and flame retardant zinc borate (ZB) are used together to prepare SiO₂-KH560-ZB hybrid sol, which is then finished on the surface of cotton fabric through impregnation and baking. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), limiting oxygen index analysis (LOI) and microscale combustion calorimetry (MCC) are used to characterize functional groups, thermal stability and flammability properties of finished fabrics. Surface morphology of sol modified cotton fabrics are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDX). Results show the sols are successfully converted into gel coatings onto cotton fabrics, and continuous smoldering phenomenon of resulted fabrics disappears. ΔLOI/Δm of SiO₂-KH560-ZB coated cotton fabric reaches the highest of 0.37%/g, char residue rate is as high as 28.43% and the peak heat release rate (PHRR) is reduced by 26.9% (83.7 W/g). KH560 has a significant coupling effect on combining components in the sol system and increases compatibility between sols and cotton fabrics. ZB (cooling, separation, dilution and suppression), silica sol (physical barrier) and KH560 show excellent synergistic effects in enhancing overall flame retardancy.