Repair of Wind Turbine Blades

Wind turbines are subject to high mechanical and environmental loads, including extreme winds, storms, rain, gravitational load on rotating blades, and temperature and humidity variations. These loads lead to the degradation of wind turbine parts, in particular wind turbine blades. Repair of wind turbine blades can cost many thousands of dollars. Such high costs can influence the wind energy costs in general. Thus, efficient repair of wind turbines is an important element of the renewable energy transition, making wind energy more competitive. In this article, mechanisms of wind turbine blade degradation, repair technologies and possibilities to reduce the repair costs are reviewed.

 

By Leon Mishnaevsky Jr, Senior Scientist, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark