Effect of Different Types of Erosion on the Aerodynamic Performance of Wind Turbine Airfoils

Taking the S823 airfoil as the research object, this study investigates the influence of different types of leading-edge erosion on the aerodynamic performance of airfoil by using the computational fluid dynamics method. The effect of leading-edge erosion on the inception of stall vortex is also analysed. The results show that when the angle of attack (AoA) is greater than 5°, the leading-edge erosion results in a significant decrease in the lift coefficient and an increase in the drag coefficient. The deterioration in the drag coefficient of the airfoil caused by leading-edge erosion is much greater than that of the lift coefficient. Moreover, the maximum promotion rate of the drag coefficient can reach 357% at Re = 300,000. The exacerbation of the erosion level leads to a dramatic expansion of the stall vortex on the airfoil suction side at a large AoA and results in a reduction in the pressure difference between the pressure and suction sides of the airfoil. This is also the reason erosion causes the degradation of the aerodynamic performance of the wind turbine airfoil. This work is beneficial to establish the reasonable maintenance cycle of the wind turbine blades working in a sand blown environment