Manufacturing and service application concerns that influence leading edge protection rain erosion performance in wind turbine blades

Enrique Cortés, Fernando Sánchez, Anthony O'Carroll, Borja Madramany, Mark Hardiman, Trevor M. Young

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Erosion damage, caused by repeated rain droplet impact on the leading edges of wind turbine blades, is a key cause for maintenance and reliability issues. Resin Infusion (RI) is used in wind energy blades where low weight and high mechanical performance materials are demanded. The surface coating plays a crucial role in the manufacturing and performance response. The Leading Edge Protection coating is usually moulded, painted or sprayed onto the blade surface during manufacture or during a repair infield, often in a number of layers. Adequate adhesion between these layers is required for mechanical performance and durability reasons. In the current work, an investigation into the rain erosion durability of various coatings has been undertaken. Mass loss measurements are used as the key metric in an effort to assess the response of changing manufacturing processing parameters. The adhesion and erosion is affected by a number of shock waves caused by the collapsing water droplet on impact [2]. The stress waves are transmitted to the substrate, so microstructural discontinuities in coating layers and interfaces play a key role on its degradation. Standard industrial systems are based on a multilayer system, with a high number of interfaces that tend to accelerate erosion by delamination. Analytical and numerical models are commonly used for lifetime prediction and to identify suitable coating and composite substrate combinations and their potential to reduce stress on the interface. In this research, the material parameters for the appropriate characterization of the coating-substrate interface are outlined by several laboratory tests, including Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), pull-off testing, peeling-adhesion testing and nanoindentation testing. The rain erosion performance is assessed using an accelerated testing technique, whereby the test material is repeatedly impacted at high speed with water droplets in a Whirling Arm Rain Erosion Rig (WARER) [3,4].

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationECCM 2018 - 18th European Conference on Composite Materials
PublisherApplied Mechanics Laboratory
ISBN (Electronic)9781510896932
Publication statusPublished - 2020
Event18th European Conference on Composite Materials, ECCM 2018 - Athens, Greece
Duration: 24 Jun 201828 Jun 2018

Publication series

NameECCM 2018 - 18th European Conference on Composite Materials

Conference

Conference18th European Conference on Composite Materials, ECCM 2018
Country/TerritoryGreece
CityAthens
Period24/06/1828/06/18

Keywords

  • Coatings
  • Leading edge protection
  • Rain erosion
  • Wind turbine blades

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