Effect of dust on the performance of wind turbines – Case Study

EFFECTIVE DUST CONTROL ON THE INTERNAL ROADS,  PATHWAYS AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS OF THE  WIND POWER PROJECTS, GREATLY INCREASE EFFICIENCY AND POWER OUTPUT.

One of the most critical challenges faced in a wind turbine project is the degradation of the performance due to accumulated dust on the turbine rotors which causes changes in the aerodynamic properties of the airfoils resulting in energy losses. Although not all airborne dust can be controlled – a substantial amount of the dust is produced from untreated gravel roads throughout the project.

Dust is normally prevalent where there is wind and this will expose wind turbine airfoils to the above-mentioned degradation leading to a loss of performance, increased maintenance costs and decreased longevity.

The case study: Effect of dust on the performance of wind turbines by Aboelyazied M. Koliub and Mohammed G. Khalfallah Desalination 209 (2007) 209-220, outlines the effect dust has on Wind Power Projects. See an excerpt below or read the full article here 

Wind turbine energy project

This was further confirmed in research conducted and an article in the publication Wind Engineering

Simulation of Damage for Wind Turbine Blades Due to Airborne Particles” Volume 39, NO 4 2015 pages 399-418 , written by Giovanni Fiore1 and Michael S. Selig2*

See an excerpt below or read the full article here 

For more information on how Soil Solutions can help increase the efficiency of your Wind or Solar power project, please visit the links below.