COBRA Joint Industry Project Tackles Wind Turbine Blade Erosion

DNV GL, the world’s largest independent energy advisory and certification body, has launched a Joint Industry Project with ten commercial partners to develop a COmprehensive methodology for Blade Rain erosion Analysis (COBRA). 

Theproject aims to investigate the damage caused to leading edge wind turbine blades from the high-speed impacts of foreign objects, such as raindrops, and identify how best to develop protection systems. Rain erosion damage can be significant on unprotected wind turbine blades. While the damage caused doesn’t often impact the structural integrity of a blade, it can influence energy generation over the life of a turbine due to degrading the aerodynamic performance of blades.

Partners include:

• DNV GL
• Vestas
• Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy
• LM Wind Power
• Ørsted
• Mankeweicz
• Akzonobel
• Aerox-CEU
• Polytech
• Hempel
• PPG

Rich Barnes, Executive Vice President Americas at DNV GL said: “Increasing the performance of wind turbines and blades is crucial for the transition to a cleaner energy system. Erosion of blades is affecting the global wind industry. There is currently a lack of methods and design protection systems to prevent blade erosion, so it is vital to identify solutions and develop tools to tackle erosion problems. The COBRA Joint Industry Project will address these challenges and share knowledge to advance the understanding within the wind energy industry.”

Interested parties can still join the Joint Industry Project subject to approval by the Steering Committee. Please contact Amilcar Quispitupa Yupa via Amilcar.Quispitupa@dnvgl.com.

The outcome of the Joint Industry Project will be a Recommended Practice for designing a protection system against rain erosion which will be published by July 2020.