Generation of Surface Maps of Erosion Resistance for Wind Turbine Blades under Rain Flows

Abstract

Rain erosion on wind turbine blades raises considerable interest in wind energy industry and research, and the definition of accurate erosion prediction systems can facilitate a rapid development of solutions for blade protection. We propose here the application of a novel methodology able to integrate a multibody aeroelastic simulation of the whole wind turbine, based on engineering models, with high-fidelity simulations of aerodynamics and particle transport and with semi-empirical models for the prediction of the damage incubation time. This methodology is applied to generate a parametric map of the blade regions potentially affected by erosion in terms of the fatigue life of the coating surface. This map can represent an important reference for the evaluation of the sustainability of maintenance, control and mitigation interventions.