Twelve companies across the wind power supply chain will work together to analyse the damage caused to blades from high-speed impacts of foreign objects, such as raindrops.
While the damage caused by rain often does not impact structural integrity, high-speed impacts can degrade blades’ aerodynamic performance and influence energy generation over a turbine’s lifetime, DNV GL stated.
The twelve companies aim to publish recommended practice for protecting against blade erosion in 2020.
The JIP will address:
- How to identify and define relevant material properties for protection system;
- Howe to develop methodology to handle and derive design loads from ran data;
- How to develop a model to conduct analysis of the impact of raindrops;
- How to develop a design methodology for leading edge protection systems.
"Erosion of blades is affecting the global wind industry. There is currently a lack of methods and design protection systems to prevent blade erosion, so it is vital to identify solutions and develop tools to tackle erosion problems," said Rich Barnes, executive vice president of the Americas at DNV GL.
Meanwhile, Steffen Laustsen, head of blade materials for offshore technology at Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy — one of the project partners — added as wind turbines get bigger, the problem of blade erosion would become more pronounced.
"The high blade tip velocities associated with large blades makes the impact of rain especially demanding," he said.
The JIP consists of turbine manufacturers Vestas, Siemens Gamesa, and Senvion, blade manufacturer LM Wind Power, and developer Ørsted.
It also includes coating system manufacturers Mankiewicz, AkzoNobel, Hempel and PPG, polymer solutions company Aerox, and blade protection solutions firm PolyTech.
Interested parties can still join the JIP, named Cobra, (Comprehensive methodology for blade rain erosion analysis), DNV GL added.
