A model for the design of hot-air based wind turbine ice prevention system

Ice accretion on wind turbine components in cold climates conditions can affect the system safe operation and performance. The most detrimental effect is due to blade icing causing an increase of the static load and a reduction in the energy capture by altering the aerodynamic profile of the blades. Anti-icing systems are used to mitigate those effects. This paper presents an original model for analyzing and designing antiicing systems based on hot air circulating inside the blades of MW-size wind turbines. The new code TREWICE was implemented on the basis of this model. It allows computing the spanwise and chordwise blade temperatures and heat flux distributions as well as the total thermal power requirement and anti-icing main design and working parameters.