Why is leading edge protection (LEP) of wind turbine blades necessary

Leading edge erosion (LEE) is a phenomenon where the leading edge of a wind turbine blade is eroded due to rain, hail, UV, sand, dust, and numerous airborne particulates. Since wind turbine blades are built to last over 2 decades, this erosion exposes the fiberglass beneath and ultimately impacts the blade’s life causing the turbine to produce less energy over time.

Leading edge erosion repairs account for more than half of the blade repairs thus making up for a very large portion of repair costs and lost revenue due to downtime. With ever-increasing blade lengths and turbines operating in harsher weather conditions, an innovative leading edge protection (LEP) with high erosion resistance is essential.

The ProBlade Ultra–

The ProBlade Ultra (PBU) is an advanced leading-edge protection developed by LM Wind Power consisting of novel material made from an elastomeric and resilient polymer with a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

It has been validated in wind tunnel, rain erosion, adhesion and UV ageing tests as well as proven in the field.  ProBlade Ultra is fast to install with wider application window.

There is no need for repeated LE (leading edge) repairs due to its high durability and excellent erosion resistance and that reduces the downtime of the turbine.

Additionally, with PBU there is significantly lower Annual Energy Production (AEP) impact than other LEP solutions due to optimized dimensions and optimized placement on the leading edge.