Operating wind turbine above rating during low erosion conditions

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, cause a control system for a wind turbine to perform an operation, wherein the wind turbine comprises a wind turbine rotor with one or more blades, wherein the wind turbine has a rated angular rotation speed of the wind turbine rotor;

• the operation, comprising:
• obtaining information on ambient conditions comprising information on rain drops impinging on the one or more blades or information on rain drops being likely to impinge on the one or more blades,
• determining that an erosion criterion is fulfilled when a physical characteristic of said rain drops satisfies a predetermined threshold, and
• controlling the wind turbine according to an extended mode upon determining the erosion criterion is fulfilled, wherein in the extended mode, an angular rotation speed of the wind turbine rotor is allowed to exceed the rated angular rotation speed.

A wind turbine, comprising:

• a tower;
• a nacelle disposed on the tower;
• a rotor extending from the nacelle, wherein the wind turbine has a rated angular rotation speed of the rotor;
• a plurality of blades disposed on one end of the rotor;
• and
• a control system configured to perform an operation, the operation comprising:
• obtaining information on ambient conditions comprising information on rain drops impinging on one of the plurality of blades or information on rain drops being likely to impinge on the one of the plurality of blades,
• determining that an erosion criterion is fulfilled when a physical characteristic of said rain drops satisfies a predetermined threshold, and
• controlling the wind turbine according to an extended mode upon determining the erosion criterion is fulfilled, wherein in the extended mode, an angular rotation speed of the rotor is allowed to exceed the rated angular rotation speed.