A CFD Framework for Mapping Erosion Distribution on Composite Tidal Turbine Blade Section

Suspended sediment in tidal flows progressively erodes composite turbine blades, with the leading edge being the most vulnerable region. While solid-particle erosion has been studied extensively for metallic components, predictive frameworks for fibre-reinforced polymers under tidal conditions remain limited. This study presents a two-dimensional computational framework that couples a Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes solution of the flow around a NACA 63-415 hydrofoil with Lagrangian erosion analysis (125 µm quartz particles) using the Oka erosion model previously calibrated for FR4 glass–fibre composite. Turbulent steady-state simulations were performed in STAR CCM+ (2510.0001) as the CFD software package at five angles of attack (0°, 2.5°, 5°, 7.5°, 10°) at a chord-based Reynolds number of 1.6 × 106, with hydrodynamic predictions validated against published experimental lift-to-drag data. Using the relevant Oka model enabled computation of the erosion rate distribution along the blade section based on particles’ local impact velocities and angles. The resulting profiles consistently exhibit a near-zero erosion zone at the stagnation area, followed by a sharply localised peak erosion within the first 10 to 20 per cent of the chord on the upper surface. A B-spline functional representation of the chordwise erosion distribution is proposed, providing a compact and reproducible basis for subsequent roughness-based hydrodynamic analysis.