Icing wind tunnel study of a wind turbine blade deicing system : simulation of deicing wind turbine blades with controlled electro-thermal systems

The Anti-Icing Materials International Laboratory (AMIL) at the Universitè du Quèbec á Chicoutimi (UQAC), Canada, carried out the wind tunnel tests simulating ice accretion on a wind turbine scaled blade model in its icing wing tunnel (IWT) to optimize the heating process and minimize energy consumption of deicing systems. The tests were conducted in collaboration with the Wind Energy Research Laboratory of the Universitè du Quèbec á Rimouski. The experiments were carried out at the temperature range of -30 to +22° C, with a median volumetric diameter (MVD) range between 20-48 millimeters and 70 meters per second as maximum wind capacity. The surface temperature, during deicing, was strongly dependent on the heating process, and the liquid water was collected at the leading edge runs back and refreezes at the end of the heating element at the airfoil top. The deicing system found to be very effective to keep the leading edge free of ice