Abstract
Deployment of offshore wind turbines requires exploring new concepts of very large
scale turbines in the 10-20MW range. Rotor blades for future 10MW offshore wind turbines may
be 80 meters or longer. This means that outboard tip of the blades will move very fast (speeds
higher than 100m/s) promoting surface erosion due to the impact with water droplets suspended
in the air or carried by the wind.
Paints and polymeric coatings are easily applied on surfaces in order to improve the
surface properties (ie: UV protection, hydrophobicity, esthetical, etc). However, the mechanical
properties of paints and polymers can be modified by adding ceramic or metallic
reinforcements. Reinforcing particles can be homogenously distributed in the paint increasing
the matrix hardness, thus increasing the erosion resistance.
In this paper different reinforcing particle sizes and/or types are used in order to
evaluate their effect on the mechanical properties of the paints and coatings. An erosion test
has been used for evaluating the effect of the reinforcing particles. A microstructural and
mechanical study is also done in order to correlate the erosion resistance results with these
properties.
1.- Introduction
Offshore wind
scale turbines in the 10-20MW range. Rotor blades for future 10MW offshore wind turbines may
be 80 meters or longer. This means that outboard tip of the blades will move very fast (speeds
higher than 100m/s) promoting surface erosion due to the impact with water droplets suspended
in the air or carried by the wind.
Paints and polymeric coatings are easily applied on surfaces in order to improve the
surface properties (ie: UV protection, hydrophobicity, esthetical, etc). However, the mechanical
properties of paints and polymers can be modified by adding ceramic or metallic
reinforcements. Reinforcing particles can be homogenously distributed in the paint increasing
the matrix hardness, thus increasing the erosion resistance.
In this paper different reinforcing particle sizes and/or types are used in order to
evaluate their effect on the mechanical properties of the paints and coatings. An erosion test
has been used for evaluating the effect of the reinforcing particles. A microstructural and
mechanical study is also done in order to correlate the erosion resistance results with these
properties.
1.- Introduction
Offshore wind