Tristan Willem Hamers, Finite element based lifetime predictions of wind turbine blade coatings, Master project

Description

Leading edge erosion is a main area of research in the present day wind industry due to the direct effect on wind turbine energy production. A turbine can lose to significant aerodynamic efficiency as a result of untreated leading edge erosion. The loss of energy yield and increase in maintenance cost make it vital to understand the underlying mechanism that are at the heart of the phenomena. The Duraledge project aims to improve understanding of the leading edge erosion phenomenon and predict the lifetime of coating materials under variable rain conditions. It covers the full process of visco-elastic material property determination, stress field evaluation following rain impact by means of finite element modelling and life-time determination using python-based post processing. Following initial results, a number of possible improvements have proposed and can be implemented in the current model. The work performed in this master thesis will aim to improve the current lifetime predictions and validate implemented methods with experimental data.

Period	1 Nov 2021 → 31 Jul 2022