Short Explanation Review of "Corrosion Mechanism on Offshore Wind Turbine Blade in

Salt Fog Environment"

This paper investigates why offshore wind turbine blades, primarily made of
composite materials, suffer damage like pitting, cracking, and tearing when exposed
to a salt fog environment. The authors analyze observed structural damage and then
delve into the underlying physical and chemical corrosion mechanisms. They conclude
that initial surface pitting from wind-blown sand acts as a trigger, while the
diffusion of water (hydrone) into the material and ultraviolet (UV) radiation are
the main drivers of material aging and subsequent corrosion. The goal is to
understand these mechanisms to better predict blade lifespan and guide design and
maintenance.

Answering Your Specific Questions:

1. What did they do?
The authors investigated the phenomenon of cracking and tearing in offshore wind
turbine blades exposed to a salt fog environment. They analyzed observed structural
damage and then discussed the corrosion mechanism from both physical
(plasticization by moisture) and chemical (hydrolysis, optical oxygen aging)
perspectives. Their aim was to sum up the main damage forms and provide theoretical
guidance for blade design and maintenance by mastering the corrosion mechanism.

2. How did they do it? (experiment, analytical, numerical, name of the method(s))
This study was primarily a review and analysis based on observations and existing
knowledge of material science and corrosion. The authors did not conduct new
experiments, analytical derivations, or numerical simulations. Instead, they:

Analyzed structural damage: Examined the main structure of composite blades and
identified primary damage forms like matrix cracking, interface delamination, and
fiber break.

Observed corrosion over time: Described the progression of blade surface damage
(pitting, black bars, efflorescence, color change, loss of consolidation) over
operational periods of two to four years in a salt fog environment.

Identified influencing factors: Listed five key environmental aspects influencing

blade erosion: moisture, salt fog salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and
wind-blown sand.

Analyzed physical erosion: Described it as plasticization (swelling and softening)

of the matrix due to water diffusion.

Analyzed chemical erosion: Discussed two primary chemical reactions: hydrolysis

(degradation of polymer chains by water, catalyzed by alkali from glass fiber) and
optical oxygen aging (UV absorption leading to macromolecular chain scission).

3. Why did they do it?

The authors conducted this research because offshore wind turbine blades are
critical and costly components, and when damaged, they have a significant impact on
turbine structures. They observed cracking and tearing in blades exposed to salt
fog environments over time. They recognized the necessity of understanding the
corrosion mechanism in such circumstances to accurately appraise blade service
lifetime and provide theoretical guidance for design and maintenance.

4. What results did they get?

The study found that:

Offshore wind turbine blades, made of Fiber Reinforced Plastics (FRP) or composite
materials, become pitted on the surface within two years due to wind-blown sand.
This pitted surface, combined with electrostatic dust and salt fog, leads to black
bar shapes and efflorescence at cutting edges. Over longer periods (3-4 years),
color changes, lumpy zones, and loss of consolidation ability occur, leading to
cracking and tearing.

The main damage forms are matrix cracking, interface delamination, fiber break, and
interfacial debonding, occurring in the matrixes or at the matrix-fiber interface.

Physical erosion is primarily plasticization (swelling and softening) of the matrix

due to water diffusion through micropores created by sand erosion.

Chemical erosion involves two main reactions:

Hydrolysis reaction: Water diffusing into the blades reacts with glass fiber to
form OH-, which catalyzes the hydrolysis of the polyester matrix, forming gaps and
breaking molecular chains, leading to cracking and reduced material performance.

Optical oxygen aging: UV radiation causes C=O and C=C bonds to absorb energy,
leading to macromolecular chain scission, especially under the influence of water,
which results in cracking and loss of efficacy.

Conclusion: The pitted surface from wind-blown sand is the "incentive" (trigger)
for corrosion, while hydrone (water) diffusion and ultraviolet radiation are the
main factors leading to material aging and blade corrosion.

5. What is missing in their work?

As a review and analysis paper based on observations, the paper does not present
new experimental data or numerical simulations. It describes observed phenomena and
proposes mechanisms. It does not quantify the rates of physical or chemical
erosion, nor does it provide predictive models for corrosion progression based on
environmental parameters. It also doesn't delve into specific material compositions
beyond general composite types (FRP, carbon fiber, polyester matrix) or the
detailed morphology of salt deposits.

6. What do you suggest to improving their work?

To improve or extend the work presented in this paper, future research could:

Quantify Corrosion Rates: Develop experimental methods to measure the rates of

physical and chemical erosion under controlled salt fog, humidity, temperature, and
UV exposure conditions.

Develop Predictive Models: Create numerical or analytical models that can predict
the progression of corrosion (e.g., crack initiation, propagation, material
degradation) based on environmental factors and initial surface conditions.

Investigate Material-Specific Responses: Conduct detailed studies on how different

composite material formulations (e.g., various resins, fiber types, coatings)
respond to salt fog and UV exposure.

Analyze Salt Deposition Morphology: Investigate the physical morphology of salt

deposits (e.g., crystal size, distribution, hygroscopic behavior) and how it
influences water film formation and subsequent corrosion.

Integrate with Aerodynamic Performance: Link the material degradation and surface
changes (pitting, roughness) caused by corrosion to changes in the blade's
aerodynamic performance and potential power loss.

Propose Mitigation Strategies: Based on a deeper understanding of the mechanisms,

propose and test specific anti-corrosion coatings, surface treatments, or
maintenance schedules.

7. How the paper relates to my work?

Your research topic is "Numerical Study of Salt Particle Deposition on Offshore
Wind Turbine Blades Using RANS-Based CFD." This paper, "Corrosion Mechanism on
Offshore Wind Turbine Blade in Salt Fog Environment," is highly relevant to your
work.

Direct Relevance (Problem Justification): It directly addresses the problem of

"salt fog environment" affecting "offshore wind turbine blades," leading to "pitted
surface," "cracking," and "tearing up." This provides a strong justification for
why studying salt particle deposition is important – it's a precursor to
significant material degradation and performance issues.

Environmental Context: It details the "offshore salt fog environment" and its
influencing factors (moisture, salt fog salinity, sand blown by wind), which are
the very conditions that lead to salt particle presence and deposition.

Impact of Sand/Particles: It explicitly states that "the pitted surface of the

blade developed from the pumping and milling of sand blown by wind is the
incentive" for corrosion. This highlights the role of particulate matter (like
sand, and by extension, salt particles) in initiating surface damage that
facilitates further degradation.

Blade Material & Damage: It describes blades as composite materials (FRP, carbon
fiber) and details damage forms like matrix cracking and interface delamination,
which can be consequences of long-term environmental exposure initiated by surface
contamination.

Connection to Surface Roughness: While your study focuses on deposition, the paper
discusses "pitted surface" and "micropores" caused by sand, which are forms of
surface roughness. Salt deposition can also contribute to roughness, impacting
aerodynamics and potentially accelerating the physical erosion mentioned in the
paper.

8. Which part of the paper should I use in the literature review on my work?
You should focus on the following sections for your literature review:

Abstract: For a concise overview of the problem, the corrosion mechanism, and the
role of sand/salt.

Introduction (Page 1): To establish the importance of wind turbine blades, their
composite materials, and the necessity of studying corrosion in salt fog
environments due to observed damage. It highlights the impact of "salt fog" and
"sand blown by wind."

Analysis of Corrosion in Salt Fog Environment (Page 1): This section provides
direct observations of blade surface degradation over time (pitting, black bars,
efflorescence) due to salt fog and sand.

Factors Influencing Erosion in Salt Fog Environment (Page 1): This lists the
environmental factors (moisture, salt fog salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen,
sand blown by wind) that contribute to erosion, directly linking to the source of
salt particles.

Physical Erosion (Page 1): To discuss how "pumping and milling of sand blown by
wind" destroys the face coat and creates "micropores," allowing water to enter and
cause plasticization. This is relevant to how initial particle impaction can create
a damaged surface.
Conclusion (Page 1): To summarize the key finding that "the pitted surface of the
blade developed from the pumping and milling of sand blown by wind is the
incentive" for corrosion, and that "hydrone diffusion and ultraviolet radiation are
the main factors that lead to the aging of materials and corrosion of blades."

Literature Review Sentences from This Paper:

"The blade is one of the key components in the wind power generation system, which
accounts for approximately 20% of the whole unit cost."

"Offshore wind turbine blades are mainly made from composite materials which are
formed by Fiber Reinforced Plastics (FRP) or carbon fiber functioned as reinforced
bond matrix."

"Offshore wind turbine blades present the pitted surface of the blade developed
from the pumping and milling of sand blown by wind and when in the salt fog
environment for a long time, cracking and tearing up will appear."

"Thus, it is very necessary to research on the corrosion mechanism on offshore wind

turbine blades in salt fog environment."

"Only by way of mastering the blades' corrosion mechanism in such circumstance can
we make an accurate appraisal of the service lifetime of the wind turbine blades,
which can later provide theoretical guidance for the design and maintenance of
blades."

"In the operational time of two years, the surface of the offshore wind turbine
blades becomes pitted due to the pumping and milling of sand blown by wind."

"The combination of electrostatic dust and salt fog makes the surface of the blades
present the shape of black bars and the cutting edge of the blades, under the
influence of the erosion of the salt fog, generate the efflorescence phenomenon."

"The offshore salt fog environment can exert influence on the erosion of the blades
chiefly in the following 5 aspects: (1) moisture... (5) sand blown by wind, in the
offshore area, there is heavy sand blown by wind, which makes it easy for the
surface of the blades be damaged and quicken the speed of erosion."

"Influenced by the pumping and milling of sand blown by wind, the face coat of the
offshore wind turbine blades is destroyed and appears some micropores."

"A final conclusion is reached which shows that the pitted surface of the blade
developed from the pumping and milling of sand blown by wind is the incentive and
hydrone diffusion and ultraviolet radiation are the main factors that lead to the
aging of materials and corrosion of blades."