Aim
To conduct idealized rain impact fatigue testing in rain erosion test facilities and to characterize morphological characteristics in eroded material and model the erosion/impact.
Method
Lab tests in the erosion tester will be defined from meteorological and infield erosion classes (from WP1). To identify the microscopic failure mechanisms in the material, optical and electron microscopy, x-ray tomography and other methods will be used. Finally, the compositional and structural characterization classification results will be investigated using various models (solid, fracture and fluid mechanics models) to understand the erosion and damage of the blades.
WP2 will define guidelines to select the erosion blade testing under normal and extreme conditions by varying rain impact and rain intensity in lab, simulating the conditions from selected wind farms. The eroded material will then be characterized with advanced microscopic investigations and the results will be modelled – to be used in WP4 for setting up rain “erosion safe mode” control.