Root Causes And Mechanisms Of Failure Of Wind Turbine Blades: Overview
🌐 As the global wind fleet continues to grow, wind turbine blade reliability is becoming one of the most critical challenges in the O&M phase
A comprehensive review published on PubMed Central highlights that there are an estimated 700,000 wind turbine blades in operation worldwide, with thousands of blade failures reported annually. Most failures do not happen suddenly—they originate from small defects such as surface erosion, bonding issues, or manufacturing imperfections, which gradually propagate under cyclic loads and harsh environmental conditions.
· According to the study, the leading causes of blade failure include:
· Leading-edge erosion caused by rain, sand, and debris
· Adhesive bond degradation and internal delamination
· Lightning strikes and accumulated fatigue damage
📚 Source: “Root Causes and Mechanisms of Failure of Wind Turbine Blades”, PubMed Central (PMC9101399)
These findings strongly underline the critical role of O&M teams:
· Early detection of minor defects can prevent costly structural failures
· Condition-based inspections enable smarter maintenance planning
· Proactive blade monitoring helps reduce downtime and extend asset lifetime
⚙️ As more projects transition from COD into long-term operation, effective inspection and data-driven O&M strategiesare no longer optional – they are essential to maintaining performance, safety, and return on investment.
A comprehensive review published on PubMed Central highlights that there are an estimated 700,000 wind turbine blades in operation worldwide, with thousands of blade failures reported annually. Most failures do not happen suddenly—they originate from small defects such as surface erosion, bonding issues, or manufacturing imperfections, which gradually propagate under cyclic loads and harsh environmental conditions.
· According to the study, the leading causes of blade failure include:
· Leading-edge erosion caused by rain, sand, and debris
· Adhesive bond degradation and internal delamination
· Lightning strikes and accumulated fatigue damage
📚 Source: “Root Causes and Mechanisms of Failure of Wind Turbine Blades”, PubMed Central (PMC9101399)
These findings strongly underline the critical role of O&M teams:
· Early detection of minor defects can prevent costly structural failures
· Condition-based inspections enable smarter maintenance planning
· Proactive blade monitoring helps reduce downtime and extend asset lifetime
⚙️ As more projects transition from COD into long-term operation, effective inspection and data-driven O&M strategiesare no longer optional – they are essential to maintaining performance, safety, and return on investment.