Stress Development in Droplet Impact Analysis of Rain Erosion Damage on Wind Turbine Blades: A Review of Liquid-to-Solid Contact Conditions

The wind energy sector is experiencing substantial growth, with global wind turbine capacity increasing and projected to expand further in the coming years. However, rain erosion on the leading edges of turbine blades remains a significant challenge, affecting both aerodynamic efficiency and structu...

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Main Authors: Quentin Laplace Oddo, Quaiyum M. Ansari, Fernando Sánchez, Leon Mishnaevsky, Trevor M. Young
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-08-01
Series:Applied Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/15/8682
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author Quentin Laplace Oddo
Quaiyum M. Ansari
Fernando Sánchez
Leon Mishnaevsky
Trevor M. Young
author_facet Quentin Laplace Oddo
Quaiyum M. Ansari
Fernando Sánchez
Leon Mishnaevsky
Trevor M. Young
author_sort Quentin Laplace Oddo
collection DOAJ
description The wind energy sector is experiencing substantial growth, with global wind turbine capacity increasing and projected to expand further in the coming years. However, rain erosion on the leading edges of turbine blades remains a significant challenge, affecting both aerodynamic efficiency and structural longevity. The associated degradation reduces annual energy production and leads to high maintenance costs due to frequent inspections and repairs. To address this issue, researchers have developed numerical models to predict blade erosion caused by water droplet impacts. This study presents a finite element analysis model in Abaqus to simulate the interaction between a single water droplet and wind turbine blade material. The novelty of this model lies in evaluating the influence of several parameters on von Mises and S33 peak stresses in the leading-edge protection, such as friction coefficient, type of contact, impact velocity, and droplet diameter. The findings provide insights into optimising LEP numerical models to simulate rain erosion as closely as possible to real-world scenarios.
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id doaj-art-810c5e3b143f48a5a82ffeaaa8442ad0
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publisher MDPI AG
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spelling doaj-art-810c5e3b143f48a5a82ffeaaa8442ad02025-08-20T03:02:57ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-08-011515868210.3390/app15158682Stress Development in Droplet Impact Analysis of Rain Erosion Damage on Wind Turbine Blades: A Review of Liquid-to-Solid Contact ConditionsQuentin Laplace Oddo0Quaiyum M. Ansari1Fernando Sánchez2Leon Mishnaevsky3Trevor M. Young4Bernal Institute, School of Engineering, University of Limerick, V94 T9PX Limerick, IrelandBernal Institute, School of Engineering, University of Limerick, V94 T9PX Limerick, IrelandInstitute of Design, Innovation and Technology (IDIT), Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, 46113 Moncada, SpainDepartment of Wind Energy, Risø Campus, Technical University of Denmark, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, DenmarkBernal Institute, School of Engineering, University of Limerick, V94 T9PX Limerick, IrelandThe wind energy sector is experiencing substantial growth, with global wind turbine capacity increasing and projected to expand further in the coming years. However, rain erosion on the leading edges of turbine blades remains a significant challenge, affecting both aerodynamic efficiency and structural longevity. The associated degradation reduces annual energy production and leads to high maintenance costs due to frequent inspections and repairs. To address this issue, researchers have developed numerical models to predict blade erosion caused by water droplet impacts. This study presents a finite element analysis model in Abaqus to simulate the interaction between a single water droplet and wind turbine blade material. The novelty of this model lies in evaluating the influence of several parameters on von Mises and S33 peak stresses in the leading-edge protection, such as friction coefficient, type of contact, impact velocity, and droplet diameter. The findings provide insights into optimising LEP numerical models to simulate rain erosion as closely as possible to real-world scenarios.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/15/8682rain erosionwind turbine bladesleading edgecoatingFEA model
spellingShingle Quentin Laplace Oddo
Quaiyum M. Ansari
Fernando Sánchez
Leon Mishnaevsky
Trevor M. Young
Stress Development in Droplet Impact Analysis of Rain Erosion Damage on Wind Turbine Blades: A Review of Liquid-to-Solid Contact Conditions
Applied Sciences
rain erosion
wind turbine blades
leading edge
coating
FEA model
title Stress Development in Droplet Impact Analysis of Rain Erosion Damage on Wind Turbine Blades: A Review of Liquid-to-Solid Contact Conditions
title_full Stress Development in Droplet Impact Analysis of Rain Erosion Damage on Wind Turbine Blades: A Review of Liquid-to-Solid Contact Conditions
title_fullStr Stress Development in Droplet Impact Analysis of Rain Erosion Damage on Wind Turbine Blades: A Review of Liquid-to-Solid Contact Conditions
title_full_unstemmed Stress Development in Droplet Impact Analysis of Rain Erosion Damage on Wind Turbine Blades: A Review of Liquid-to-Solid Contact Conditions
title_short Stress Development in Droplet Impact Analysis of Rain Erosion Damage on Wind Turbine Blades: A Review of Liquid-to-Solid Contact Conditions
title_sort stress development in droplet impact analysis of rain erosion damage on wind turbine blades a review of liquid to solid contact conditions
topic rain erosion
wind turbine blades
leading edge
coating
FEA model
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/15/8682
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