A workshop featuring international speakers, took place at Lancaster University’s campus recently with one goal in mind: to focus their research on wind energy. The Wind Farm O&M: Assessing and Mitigating Impact of Blade Damage (AMID) workshop had an emphasis on wind turbine blade erosion. This is a growing challenge as the rotors of utility-scale wind turbines become larger and operate at higher speeds than previously. Blade erosion reduces the lifespan of the blades, increases the costs of operation and maintenance of wind farms, and reduces the annual energy production of the power plant.

Analysis and solutions to this problem require strong collaborative efforts by engineering and environment researchers, since the issue is caused by meteorological drivers such as rain and hail precipitation and sandstorms. It is additionally dependent on the machine design and operation parameters. Blade erosion is also exacerbated by the increasingly frequent extreme weather events experienced due to climate change. Finding solutions to prevent erosion problems is key to improving the exploitation of wind as a renewable resource with utility-scale turbines, over 11,000 of which are already operational in the UK.

Led by Dr Sergio Campobasso, a Senior Lecturer in the School of Engineering, the AMID workshop helped bring together academic and industrial researchers from across the world who are currently working on reducing the impact of erosion. These innovations have the potential to help increase and maintain energy from wind turbines, leading to long-term energy security and a reduced cost of energy.

Dr Campobasso said “It was a fantastic experience to exchange ideas with colleagues, especially between our academic and industrial partners, across engineering, meteorology, and materials. We were even fortunate enough to have a sunny morning for a visit to the Hazelrigg turbine and weather station.”