Leading Edge Protection Impact on Airfoil Performance: An Experimental Investigation

The performance of a wind turbine is affected by the surface quality and surface conditions of its blades. Small bugs, sand or rain erosion will deteriorate the surface and so the flow will be negatively influenced, which will lead to reduced rotor efficiency and power production. Furthermore, additional costs are introduced because of the maintenance needed to clean or repair the damaged blades. To prevent or mitigate such deterioration, several solutions are in development to protect the blade and extend the component life. The present work focuses on assessing the impact of one of these solutions on the airfoil performance by meaning of dedicated wind tunnel tests. The tests have been performed at high Reynolds number to realistically reflect the wind turbine’s operative conditions. The results are compared to free and fixed transition cases, as well as erosion scenarios to benchmark the effectiveness of the solution in restoring the nominal performance. As result, general solution impact assessment has been achieved and critical features have been identified for the solution in to be effective.