Rain Erosion Load and Its Effect on Leading-Edge Lifetime and Potential of Erosion-Safe Mode at Wind Turbines in the North Sea and Baltic Sea

Leading-edge erosion at wind turbine blades cause a loss in profit for farm owners, particular offshore. The characterization of the rain environmental load is based on long-term rate and speed observations 10-minute resolutions coastal stations around North Sea, Baltic inland. It assumed that an IEA Wind 15 MW installed each station. leading-edge lifetime found to increase from South along German Danish Sea coastline 1.4 2.8 years. In West shorter (~2 years) than further East (~3 4 years). recommended use time series 10 years or longer because most likely will overestimation lifetime. due can potentially be reduced by ~70% using erosion-safe mode, i.e., reduce tip during heavy events, blade erosion, aerodynamic loss, repair costs, downtime repair. 18 average 0.46% annual energy production.