Corrosion Protection for Onshore Wind Turbines

    Even though less complicated than the offshore area, onshore wind turbines also require a thorough service and maintenance concept. A frequent problem encountered by onshore wind turbines is corrosion. This mainly affects threaded couplings, welding joints and flanges and can cause serious damage.

    Maintenance intervals and good corrosion protection play a decisive role in the service life of a wind turbine. Not only environmental factors such as UV radiation, frost, salty air, but also dynamic stresses can cause damage to the flange between the tower of a turbine and its foundation. Small corroded areas can lead to significant corrosion damage and even endanger the stability of the tower.

    Depending on the location of the onshore wind farm, the damage can be varyingly serious. In general, however, such wind turbines are subject to the Corrosion Category C3 (Moderate, urban and industrial atmospheres as well as low-salt coastal atmospheres) and C4 (Substantial, industrial atmospheres and coastal atmospheres with moderate salt levels).

    On the other hand, offshore wind turbines are usually subject to Corrosion Category CX (Extreme, offshore locations with high salt levels, industrial areas with extreme humidity and aggressive atmospheres).

    The most suitable corrosion protection for a wind turbine needs to be considered depending on the prevailing conditions.

     

    Sources:

    Offshore-coating – a robust protective jacket against the rough climate offshore (inprocoat)

    Tower refurbishment service - WP Group