Protective coatings for wind turbine blades

What is it about?

Wind turbine blade maintenance is challenging in tropical nations such as India. Solid particle erosion is one of the primary causes of wind turbine blade damage, which reduces energy production. For the first time, nanomaterial-reinforced water-based polyurethane (PU) coatings have been developed to improve the solid particle erosion resistance performance of wind turbine blades. In-house synthesized ceramic oxide nanoparticles such as Al2O3, ZrO2, and CeO2 are used as fillers for the reinforcement of coatings on glass fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) substrates. In this article, synthesis and detailed characterization of ceramic oxide nanoparticles, development of water-based PU coatings, and their solid particle erosion resistance performances have been reported for the first time. The concentrations of ceramic nanoparticles in the PU, coatings are varied and solid particle erosion resistance studies are carried out at impinging angles of 30◦ and 90◦. The performances of the coatings are assessed by comparing the volume losses.

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Photo by Rabih Shasha on Unsplash

Photo by Rabih Shasha on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The study presents a novel solution for wind turbine blade protection. It addresses the most overlooked, yet critical component of erosion, solid particle erosion. Rain erosion is also influenced by solid particle erosion, which worsens its severity. As a result, it is critical that the protective coating withstands the severe solid particle impacts. This research will aid in the development of versatile protective coatings for wind turbine blades.