Insects can halve wind-turbine power

Gustave P. Corten () and Herman F. Veldkamp
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Gustave P. Corten: Unit of Wind Energy, Energy Centre of The Netherlands
Herman F. Veldkamp: NEG Micon A/S

Nature, 2001, vol. 412, issue 6842, 41-42

Abstract: Abstract For no apparent reason, the power of wind turbines operating in high winds may drop, causing production losses of up to 25 per cent1. Here we use a new flow-visualization technique to analyse airflow separation over the blades and find that insects caught on the leading edges in earlier low-wind periods are to blame. These potentially catastrophic power glitches can be prevented simply by cleaning the blades.

Date: 2001
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DOI: 10.1038/35083698

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