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The increasing importance of leading edge erosion and a review of existing protection solutions

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  • Herring, Robbie
  • Dyer, Kirsten
  • Martin, Ffion
  • Ward, Carwyn

Abstract

The offshore wind industry's pursuit of greater blade lengths and higher tip speeds, as well as a move to new markets with monsoonal climates, has caused leading edge erosion to progress from an issue that only affects a small number of turbines in the most extreme environments to a major problem that affects entire wind farms. Leading edge erosion results in reduced turbine efficiency that requires expensive repairs and tip speeds to be limited to protect blade edges. A review of the existing protection solutions is presented. The production and application of both gelcoats and flexible coatings relies heavily on manual procedures, leaving the coatings vulnerable to defects that can act as initiation points for erosion. Leading edge tapes are manufactured autonomously in a controlled environment and are consequently relatively free of defects. When applied effectively, the tapes possess very good erosion resistance. However, poor application can result in the formation of air pockets and wrinkles that reduce the adhesion of the bond, resulting in the tape disbonding from the blade. Metallic erosion shields have been shown in accelerated rain erosion tests to possess a lifetime greater than that of an offshore wind turbine blade. However, differences in stiffness between the blade and the metallic shield introduces a risk of the shield detaching under loading and as a result, the reliance on the adhesive is high. Integrating a metallic erosion shield into the blade mould would remove an additional manufacturing process and alleviate any aerodynamic concerns caused by a profile step on the leading edge of the blade. A design that can account for the stiffness mismatch between an integrated metallic erosion shield and the blade may then reveal the solution to leading edge erosion.

Suggested Citation

  • Herring, Robbie & Dyer, Kirsten & Martin, Ffion & Ward, Carwyn, 2019. "The increasing importance of leading edge erosion and a review of existing protection solutions," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:115:y:2019:i:c:s1364032119305908
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2019.109382
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    1. Wu, Yunna & Liu, Fangtong & Wu, Junhao & He, Jiaming & Xu, Minjia & Zhou, Jianli, 2022. "Barrier identification and analysis framework to the development of offshore wind-to-hydrogen projects," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PB).
    2. Charlotte Bay Hasager & Flemming Vejen & Witold Robert Skrzypiński & Anna-Maria Tilg, 2021. "Rain Erosion Load and Its Effect on Leading-Edge Lifetime and Potential of Erosion-Safe Mode at Wind Turbines in the North Sea and Baltic Sea," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-24, April.
    3. Sergio Campobasso, M. & Castorrini, Alessio & Ortolani, Andrea & Minisci, Edmondo, 2023. "Probabilistic analysis of wind turbine performance degradation due to blade erosion accounting for uncertainty of damage geometry," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    4. Amrit Shankar Verma & Sandro Di Noi & Zhengru Ren & Zhiyu Jiang & Julie J. E. Teuwen, 2021. "Minimum Leading Edge Protection Application Length to Combat Rain-Induced Erosion of Wind Turbine Blades," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-26, March.
    5. Mishnaevsky, Leon & Hasager, Charlotte Bay & Bak, Christian & Tilg, Anna-Maria & Bech, Jakob I. & Doagou Rad, Saeed & Fæster, Søren, 2021. "Leading edge erosion of wind turbine blades: Understanding, prevention and protection," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 953-969.
    6. Sara C. Pryor & Rebecca J. Barthelmie & Jeremy Cadence & Ebba Dellwik & Charlotte B. Hasager & Stephan T. Kral & Joachim Reuder & Marianne Rodgers & Marijn Veraart, 2022. "Atmospheric Drivers of Wind Turbine Blade Leading Edge Erosion: Review and Recommendations for Future Research," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-41, November.
    7. Koodly Ravishankara, Akshay & Özdemir, Huseyin & van der Weide, Edwin, 2021. "Analysis of leading edge erosion effects on turbulent flow over airfoils," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 765-779.
    8. Xiaohang Wang & Zhenbo Tang & Na Yan & Guojun Zhu, 2022. "Effect of Different Types of Erosion on the Aerodynamic Performance of Wind Turbine Airfoils," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-13, September.
    9. Bech, Jakob Ilsted & Johansen, Nicolai Frost-Jensen & Madsen, Martin Bonde & Hannesdóttir, Ásta & Hasager, Charlotte Bay, 2022. "Experimental study on the effect of drop size in rain erosion test and on lifetime prediction of wind turbine blades," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 776-789.
    10. Francesco Papi & Lorenzo Cappugi & Simone Salvadori & Mauro Carnevale & Alessandro Bianchini, 2020. "Uncertainty Quantification of the Effects of Blade Damage on the Actual Energy Production of Modern Wind Turbines," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-18, July.
    11. Verma, Amrit Shankar & Yan, Jiquan & Hu, Weifei & Jiang, Zhiyu & Shi, Wei & Teuwen, Julie J.E., 2023. "A review of impact loads on composite wind turbine blades: Impact threats and classification," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    12. López, Javier Contreras & Kolios, Athanasios & Wang, Lin & Chiachio, Manuel, 2023. "A wind turbine blade leading edge rain erosion computational framework," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 203(C), pages 131-141.
    13. Jeanie A. Aird & Rebecca J. Barthelmie & Sara C. Pryor, 2023. "Automated Quantification of Wind Turbine Blade Leading Edge Erosion from Field Images," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-23, March.
    14. Papi, Francesco & Balduzzi, Francesco & Ferrara, Giovanni & Bianchini, Alessandro, 2021. "Uncertainty quantification on the effects of rain-induced erosion on annual energy production and performance of a Multi-MW wind turbine," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 165(P1), pages 701-715.
    15. Mishnaevsky, Leon & Tempelis, Antonios & Kuthe, Nikesh & Mahajan, Puneet, 2023. "Recent developments in the protection of wind turbine blades against leading edge erosion: Materials solutions and predictive modelling," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 215(C).
    16. Hasager, C. & Vejen, F. & Bech, J.I. & Skrzypiński, W.R. & Tilg, A.-M. & Nielsen, M., 2020. "Assessment of the rain and wind climate with focus on wind turbine blade leading edge erosion rate and expected lifetime in Danish Seas," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 91-102.
    17. Verma, Amrit Shankar & Jiang, Zhiyu & Caboni, Marco & Verhoef, Hans & van der Mijle Meijer, Harald & Castro, Saullo G.P. & Teuwen, Julie J.E., 2021. "A probabilistic rainfall model to estimate the leading-edge lifetime of wind turbine blade coating system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 1435-1455.
    18. Anne P. M. Velenturf, 2021. "A Framework and Baseline for the Integration of a Sustainable Circular Economy in Offshore Wind," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-41, September.
    19. Alessio Castorrini & Paolo Venturini & Aldo Bonfiglioli, 2022. "Generation of Surface Maps of Erosion Resistance for Wind Turbine Blades under Rain Flows," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-14, August.
    20. Ge, Mingwei & Sun, Haitao & Meng, Hang & Li, Xintao, 2024. "An improved B-L model for dynamic stall prediction of rough-surface airfoils," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 226(C).
    21. Gregory Duthé & Imad Abdallah & Sarah Barber & Eleni Chatzi, 2021. "Modeling and Monitoring Erosion of the Leading Edge of Wind Turbine Blades," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-33, November.
    22. Lopez, Javier Contreras & Kolios, Athanasios, 2024. "An autonomous decision-making agent for offshore wind turbine blades under leading edge erosion," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).

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