Abstract
The problem of erosion due to water droplet impact has been a major concern for several industries for a very long time and it keeps reinventing itself wherever a component rotates or moves at high speed in a hydrometer environment. Recently, and as larger wind turbine blades are used, erosion of the leading edge due to rain droplets impact has become a serious issue. Leading-edge erosion causes a significant loss in aerodynamics efficiency of turbine blades leading to a considerable reduction in annual energy production. This paper reviews the topic of water droplet impact erosion as it emerges in wind turbine blades. A brief background on water droplet erosion and its industrial applications is first presented. Leading-edge erosion of wind turbine is briefly described in terms of materials involved and erosion conditions encountered in the blade. Emphases are then placed on the status quo of understanding the mechanics of water droplet erosion, experimental testing, and erosion prediction models. The main conclusions of this review are as follow. So far, experimental testing efforts have led to establishing a useful but incomplete understanding of the water droplet erosion phenomenon, the effect of different erosion parameters, and a general ranking of materials based on their ability to resist erosion. Techniques for experimentally measuring an objective erosion resistance (or erosion strength) of materials have, however, not yet been developed. In terms of modelling, speculations about the physical processes underlying water droplet erosion and consequently treating the problem from first principles have never reached a state of maturity. Efforts have, therefore, focused on formulating erosion prediction equations depending on a statistical analysis of large erosion tests data and often with a combination of presumed erosion mechanisms such as fatigue. Such prediction models have not reached the stage of generalization. Experimental testing and erosion prediction efforts need to be improved such that a coherent water droplet erosion theory can be established. The need for standardized testing and data representation practices as well as correlations between test data and real in-service erosion also remains urgent.
Highlights
There has been a growing interest in the utilization of wind energy as a promising sustainable energy source that has low to zero emissions
This is because physics and damage mechanisms of the erosion phenomenon have not been fully understood, and an agreed upon analytical solution of Water droplet erosion (WDE) problem still does not exist
This paper intended to highlight two important aspects of the water droplet impact erosion problem; its importance as it constitutes a concern for the wind energy industry as well as other industries; and the complexities involved in studying and tackling this erosion problem at fundamental levels
Summary
There has been a growing interest in the utilization of wind energy as a promising sustainable energy source that has low to zero emissions. The increase in the turbine size and the blade tip speed brought about several challenges regarding the operation and maintenance of the wind turbine Among these challenges, leading edge erosion (LEE). Bech et al [12], several blades at Anholt offshore wind farm were planned to be dismantled and brought ashore in 2018 after less than five years of operation, for the repair of the leading-edge damage. This has generated an interest in studying leading edge erosion of wind turbine blades.
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