Coatings maker Hempel has launched a new leading edge protection (LEP) coating for wind turbine blades.
Hempablade Edge 171 has the highest rain erosion performance data on the market for a liquid LEP, and some of the lowest dry film thicknesses, Hempel stated.
It is Hempel’s first LEP coating, developed using the company’s in-house Rain Erosion Test (RET) facility.
The product has been developed to provide long-term protection against rain erosion and reduces time and cost during application.
The leading edge of a wind turbine blade is exposed to extremely high airflow speeds, even exceeding 300 km/h.
At these speeds, impact from rain can cause significant coating erosion or even composite damage.
In severe cases, the erosion may lead to a loss of aerodynamic performance and a 2-3% drop in annual energy production.
This loss of performance and need for maintenance makes leading edge erosion one of the wind industry’s most significant maintenance costs and performance challenges.
In the European offshore wind energy sector alone, this equates to a loss in productivity of around €56-75m a year.
For wind farm service providers, Hempablade Edge 171 requires some of the lowest dry film thickness on the market, just 150 microns, and requires one or two coats to ensure high protection.
This increases application speeds, allowing customers to maintain more blades with the resources available, Hempel said.
The coating also has a wide application window, from 5-35°C, which means applicators can extend the maintenance season and working day.
The result is higher productivity and less blade downtime during maintenance, said the company.