Leading edge erosion. Photo by Jakob Ilsted Bech, DTU Wind Energy
Wind turbine blade erosion is now the largest blade issue, affecting all wind turbine types and offshore operators. Leading edge erosion can lead to more than 5% reduction of annual energy production for wind turbines. The impact of erosion on the rotor performance includes an increase in drag coefficient, decrease in lift coefficient for higher angles of attack and significant loss in annual energy yield.
The objective of the DURALEDGE project is to improve the lifetime of wind turbine blades, and to reduce service and maintenance costs during the operation of the turbines by predicting, modelling and understanding the leading edge erosion mechanisms and by developing new highly durable protective coatings and guidelines for the coating development.