scope:

The rain erosion performance of the test specimens is dependent on many parameters which are not directly connected to the erosion protection system itself such as, the substrate below the protection system (laminate and filler) and the test rig parameters. This recommended practice provides guidance as to which parameters will influence the test results, and therefore shall be monitored and controlled during erosion testing, to ensure comparable results when using different test rigs. As far as applicable, the parameters are set to represent the environmental conditions that a leading edge of a rotor blade on a wind turbine is exposed to.

In addition, guidance is provided for the selection of a calibration specimen.

The results from a round robin test on calibration specimens and on three coated specimens are anonymised and provided in App.C. The designs of all three test rigs used for these tests were very similar.

An evaluation of the erosion test results with regards to the erosion performance, lifetime, outliers or the required number of specimens, is not within the scope of this RP.

This RP was developed as an extension to the requirements specified in the ASTM G73-10 standard.