Leading-edge erosion (LEE) of wind turbine blades gradually degrades their aerodynamic performance. However, wind farm developers neglect the effect of LEE on wakes when estimating wind farm production.
Therefore, Visbech et al. (2024) set out to quantify the impact of LEE on energy production with and without including it in the wake model.
Therefore, Visbech et al. (2024) set out to quantify the impact of LEE on energy production with and without including it in the wake model.
A numerical energy production model is developed, including coupled models of the LEE damage, the aerodynamic losses, the turbine power and thrust curves, and wake losses. The developed model framework is used in a case study of 10 years of offshore wind farm operation. Visbech et al. (2024) find an average 2.9% production loss during the last two years of operation when neglecting the LEE effect on wakes and 2.7% when included. This trend was expected as LEE reduces the rotor’s aerodynamic efficiency and thereby reduces the wake’s severity.
Visbech, Jens, Tuhfe Göçmen, Özge Sinem Özçakmak, Alexander Meyer Forsting, Ásta Hannesdóttir, and Pierre-Elouan Réthoré. 2024. “Aerodynamic Effects of Leading-Edge Erosion in Wind Farm Flow Modeling.” Wind Energy Science 9 (9): 1811–26. https://wes.copernicus.org/articles/9/1811/2024/