Articles | Volume 9, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-2333-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-2333-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
20 Dec 2024
Research article |
| 20 Dec 2024
| 20 Dec 2024
Aerodynamic interaction of rain and wind turbine blades: the significance of droplet slowdown and deformation for leading-edge erosion
Nils Barfknecht
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Wind Energy Group, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
Dominic von Terzi
Wind Energy Group, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
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Short summary
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.
Rain droplets damage wind turbine blades due to the high impact speed at the tip. In this study,...
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