Experimental Study on the Ultrasonic De-Icing Method of Wind Turbine Blades

Abstract

Ice accretion on the wind turbine blade degrades the aerodynamic performance and power efficiency of wind turbines. Therefore, developing a high-efficiency de-icing method with low energy consumption is necessary to stabilize their operation in winter. Now, there are several types of de-icing methods being developed. Among these methods, ultrasonic de-icing method is suitable for wind turbines because of its low energy consumption, simple structure, and easy installation. In this chapter, the theoretical and experimental studies on ultrasonic de-icing of wind turbines are introduced. The de-icing vibration modes of plate element and airfoil blade with NACA0018 were analyzed and determined. The anti-icing and de-icing effects of ultrasonic vibration on the iced plate and blade segment were tested by the experimental methods. An icing wind tunnel system and two kinds of de-icing measurement devices were designed and built. The adhesive strengths of ice on the plate and airfoil blade surface were measured with variation in frequency. The experimental results show that ultrasonic vibration could decrease the amount and the adhesive strength of ice dramatically and had de-icing capability at the frequency of de-icing vibration mode. The research findings are useful and helpful to the development of ultrasonic de-icing technology in future works.