Project description
Extending the lifespan of offshore wind turbines
With the growth of offshore wind energy production, it becomes necessary to keep the efficiency of wind turbine components under challenging environmental conditions. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the WINEROSI project aims to address the issue of erosion of coatings resulting from the influence of harsh marine conditions, such as rain and particulate matter. Combining cutting-edge laboratory experiments with precise numerical simulations, the project intends to investigate damage accumulation over time and determine the expected lifetime of coatings. Through the creation of self-healing coating materials and a computational simulation framework, the project will provide insights into assessing erosion and assist in the development of sustainable and affordable wind energy technology systems.
Objective
Wind energy is a key pillar of the global transition to net-zero, with offshore floating wind turbines (OFWTs) offering vast untapped potential. However, OFWT blades are continuously exposed to rain, hail, and airborne particles, causing the protective coating erosion that reduces aerodynamic efficiency, accelerates structure failure, and increases maintenance costs. Addressing this challenge is essential for reliable and cost-effective wind energy production. This project will combine advanced characterisation tests with high-fidelity numerical modelling to predict fatigue lifetime of OFWT blade coatings under harsh marine conditions. Multiple and random droplet impact tests will be conducted to investigate the fatigue failure mechanisms of the novel self-healing polyurethane coating materials. State-of-the-art modelling only captures the elastic behaviour of the protective coating. A cutting-edge fluid-structure interaction framework, based on the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian-Lagrangian (ALE-L) method, will simulate repeated droplet-coating interactions. A refined viscoelastic-viscoplastic non-local fatigue damage constitutive model will be introduced for the coating phase and calibrated against physical experimental data. Chemical-diffusive controlled self-healing mechanisms will be developed to retrieve the mechanical properties once the coating is damaged. The comprehensive numerical model will be applied to quantify erosion damage growth and predict lifetime. Finally, a practical erosion assessment tool will be created by correlating damage rate with rainfall characteristics to inform operational decision-making systems. Project outcomes will directly support next-generation OFWT blade development by reducing design iterations, preventing premature failures, and lowering lifecycle costs. This work aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (Climate Action) and the European Green Deal, advancing a scalable, climate-neutral energy future.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences chemical sciences polymer sciences polyurethane
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels renewable energy wind energy
- engineering and technology materials engineering coating and films
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
E1 4NS LONDON
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.