Green energy lies
Erosion damage to the leading edge of wind turbine blades from
conventional damage destroys wind turbines around the world.
Calculations have shown that when the free fall velocities of the
drop and the speed of rotation of the blades are summed up, the
tangential velocity of impact of the rain drop on the leading edge
of the blade closer to the outer diameter does not fall below 80 m/s
(288 km/h). If we take the average drop size as 3mm (in reality, it
varies depending on weather conditions from 0.5mm to 5mm) and
weight 14mg, it turns out that the total impact force on the blade
from such a drop will be 76N (approximately 7.6kg in weight
equivalent) ...
And if we calculate the area of this impact (provided that the drop
flattens up to 6 mm upon impact), then we get an impressive 26.5
atmospheres. That is, the surface of the leading edge of the blade
is exposed to micro-hydraulic shocks. In the presence of surface
defects (scratches, cracks, etc.) obtained at the stages of
manufacturing, transportation and installation, this destructive
effect only intensifies.
This seriously disrupts the aerodynamics of the blade and leads to
a decrease in the efficiency of the wind generator, reducing the
power it generates. Preliminary estimates indicated that the
efficiency drop would be only 5%, but one study published last
July shows (
https://bit.ly/3pMDxtJ) that the drop in power
generation caused by blade erosion is as high as 25%. In other
words, the "greens" lie about the efficiency of wind energy.
Research have shown (
https://bit.ly/3GAWgi4 https://bit.ly/3EsXPg5)
that rain erosion was greatly underestimated and the blades need to
be replaced much more often than those declared in advertising
brochures (20-25 years). As it turns out, large-scale research on
this matter (
https://bit.ly/3nMq174) has not been carried out until
recently. And only now, in connection with the growth of broken
wind turbines and with the reduction of subsidies from the state,
the majority of operating companies have seriously realized the
stupidity of this venture.