A practical study of the aerodynamic impact of wind turbine blade leading edge erosion

During operation wind turbine blades are exposed to a wide variety of atmospheric and environmental conditions; inspection reports for blades that have been operating for several years show varying degrees of leading edge erosion. It is important to be able to estimate the impact of different stages of erosion on wind turbine performance, but this is very difficult even with advanced CFD models. In this study, wind tunnel testing was used to evaluate a range of complex erosion stages. Erosion patterns were transferred to thin films that were applied to 18% thick commercial wind turbine aerofoils and full lift and drag polars were measured in a wind tunnel. Tests were conducted up to a Reynolds number of 2.20 x 10(6), and scaling based on the local roughness Reynolds number was used in combination with different film thicknesses to simulate a variety of erosion depths. The results will be very useful for conducting cost/benefit analyses of different methods of blade protection and repair, as well as for defining the appropriate timescales for these processes.