Energy loss caused by leading edge erosion of wind turbine blades can be significant but is challenging to quantify as measurement uncertainty is high. An alternative to measurements is numerical modelling, which usually requires detailed information not readily available (like airfoil characteristics). In a recent paper, Bak (2022) suggests a simplified model for calculating energy losses. The new model only requires a few parameters (rated power, rotor radius and the wind climate) in addition to the blade damage given according to a 5-level rating scale.

As a demonstration, Bak (2022) validates the simple model against a detailed Blade Element Momentum (BEM) model. The models are applied to the Vestas V52 wind turbine for varying blade damage cases and wind climates. The models show good agreement in the estimated losses with deviations between 3% and 10%. Therefore, the new model can provide acceptable estimates of energy losses from visual blade inspections.

Bak, Christian. 2022. “A Simple Model to Predict the Energy Loss Due to Leading Edge Roughness.” Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2265 (3): 032038. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2265/3/032038.