Title
A probabilistic long-term framework for site-specific erosion analysis of wind turbine blades: A case study of 31 Dutch sites
Author
Shankar Verma, A.
Jiang, Z.
Ren, Z.
Caboni, M.
Verhoef, H.
van der Mijle-Meijer, H.
Castro, S.G.P.
Teuwen J.J.E.,
Publication year
2021
Abstract
Rain-induced leading-edge erosion (LEE) of wind turbine blades (WTBs) is associated with high repair and maintenance costs. The effects of LEE can be triggered in less than 1 to 2 years for some wind turbine sites, whereas it may take several years for others. In addition, the growth of erosion may also differ for different blades and turbines operating at the same site. Hence, LEE is a site- and turbine-specific problem. In this paper, we propose a probabilistic long-term framework for assessing site-specific lifetime of a WTB coating system. Case studies are presented for 1.5 and 10 MW wind turbines, where geographic bubble charts for the leading-edge lifetime and number of repairs expected over the blade's service life are established for 31 sites in the Netherlands. The proposed framework efficiently captures the effects of spatial and orographic features of the sites and wind turbine specifications on LEE calculations. For instance, the erosion is highest at the coastal sites and for sites located at higher altitudes. In addition, erosion is faster for turbines associated with higher tip speeds, and the effects are critical for such sites where the exceedance probability for rated wind conditions are high. The study will aid in the development of efficient operation and maintenance strategies for wind farms.
Subject
Coatings
Leading-edge erosion
Operation and maintenance
Wind energy
Wind turbine blades
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:1cf4ba1f-1a87-48d5-8b22-5dab9de7f06d
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/we.2634
TNO identifier
957619
Publisher
Wiley
ISSN
1095-4244
Source
Wind Energy, 24 (24), 1315-1336
Document type
article