Environmental conditions erode turbine blades, decrease power output

Wind turbines must endure at least 20 years of extreme stresses over their lifetimes. The leading edges of turbine blades, in particular, experience extensive erosion from continuous exposure to the environment and precipitation. This erosion can reduce the power generating capabilities of the turbine.

Wang et al. developed a numerical analysis of the effects of leading edge erosion on the efficiency of a wind turbine.

“This research gives the direct impact of leading edge erosion with specific data, which is useful in practical engineering,” said author Yan Wang. “Leading edge erosion can decrease the power output by about 25%, so it is important to anticipate the influence of different levels of leading edge erosion.”

The authors focused specifically on delamination, the most severe type of leading edge erosion. If left unchecked, small pits in the material caused by debris or particles can expand into large gouges, which can eventually damage and strip the laminate coating from the blade. This delamination can cripple the aerodynamics of the blade, drastically reducing efficiency and power output.

The team developed a numerical model of a turbine blade using computational fluid dynamics and evaluated the impact of erosion using the Blade Element Momentum method. They comprehensively detailed the efficiency loss over time and the impact on the lifetime of the blade. Small, deep deformations had a greater impact on blade efficiency than wide, shallow ones.

The researchers plan to examine other types of erosion, such as pitting and gouging, in the same manner. They believe their results will prove useful to turbine manufacturers.

Source: “Insight into the effects of leading edge delamination on the aerodynamic performance of an airfoil and wind turbine,” by Yan Wang, YongZe Zhou, ChengLin Duan, Liang Wang, and An Jia, Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy (2022). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0075123 .