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From Hydrometeor Size Distribution Measurements to Projections of Wind Turbine Blade Leading-Edge Erosion

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  • Fred Letson

    (Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA)

  • Sara C. Pryor

    (Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA)

Abstract

Wind turbine blade leading-edge erosion (LEE) is a cause of increased operation and maintenance costs and decreased annual energy production. Thus, detailed, site-specific quantification of likely erosion conditions are critically needed to inform wind plant owner/operator decisions regarding mitigation strategies. Estimating the damage potential at a wind plant site requires accurate measurement of precipitation intensity, phase, droplet size distributions, wind speeds and their joint statistics. The current work quantifies the effect of disdrometer type on the characterization of LEE potential at a site in the US Southern Great Plains. using observations from three co-located disdrometers (an optical, an impact and a video disdrometer), along with hub-height wind-speed observations from a Doppler lidar and two LEE models: a kinetic energy model and the Springer model. Estimates of total kinetic energy of hydrometeor impacts over the four-year study period vary by as much as 38%, and coating lifetime derived from accumulated distance-to-failure estimates from the Springer model differ by an even greater amount, depending on disdrometer type. Damage potential at this site is concentrated in time, with 50% of impact kinetic energy occurring in 6–12 h per year, depending on which set of disdrometer observations is used. Rotor-speed curtailment during the most erosive 0.1–0.2% of 10 min periods is found to increase blade lifetimes and lead to the lowest levelized cost of energy.

Suggested Citation

  • Fred Letson & Sara C. Pryor, 2023. "From Hydrometeor Size Distribution Measurements to Projections of Wind Turbine Blade Leading-Edge Erosion," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-29, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:9:p:3906-:d:1140007
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. 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.
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    Cited by:

    1. Castorrini, Alessio & Barnabei, Valerio F. & Domenech, Luis & Šakalyté, Asta & Sánchez, Fernando & Campobasso, M. Sergio, 2024. "Impact of meteorological data factors and material characterization method on the predictions of leading edge erosion of wind turbine blades," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).

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