Articles | Volume 9, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-2333-2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-2333-2024
Research article
 | 
20 Dec 2024
Research article |  | 20 Dec 2024

Aerodynamic interaction of rain and wind turbine blades: the significance of droplet slowdown and deformation for leading-edge erosion

Nils Barfknecht and Dominic von Terzi

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Cited articles

Badger, M., Zuo, H., Hannesdóttir, A., Owda, A., and Hasager, C.: Lifetime prediction of turbine blades using global precipitation products from satellites, Wind Energ. Sci., 7, 2497–2512, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-7-2497-2022, 2022. a
Barfknecht, N., Kreuseler, M., de Tavernier, D., and von Terzi, D.: Performance analysis of wind turbines with leading-edge erosion and erosion-safe mode operation, J. Phys.: Conf. Ser., 2265, 032009, https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2265/3/032009, 2022. a, b, c
Bech, J. I., Hasager, C. B., and Bak, C.: Extending the life of wind turbine blade leading edges by reducing the tip speed during extreme precipitation events, Wind Energ. Sci., 3, 729–748, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-3-729-2018, 2018. a, b
Bech, J. I., Johansen, N. F.-J., Madsen, M. B., Hannesdóttir, Á., and Hasager, C. B.: Experimental study on the effect of drop size in rain erosion test and on lifetime prediction of wind turbine blades, Renew. Energy, 197, 776–789, 2022. a, b, c, d, e
Best, A. C.: The size distribution of raindrops, Q. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc., 76, 16–36, 1950a. a
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Rain droplets damage wind turbine blades due to the high impact speed at the tip. In this study, it is found that rain droplets and wind turbine blades interact aerodynamically. The rain droplets slow down and deform close to the blade. A model from another field of study was adapted and validated to study this process in detail. This effect reduced the predicted erosion damage by up to 50 %, primarily affecting smaller drops. It is shown how the slowdown effect can influence erosion mitigation.
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