2D Numerical Simulation of a Wind Turbine De-Icing System Using Cycled Heating

At cold climate sites, the icing of the turbine components, mainly the blades, affects the system's performance and safety due to the ice accertion and shedding. Consequently, the economic sustainability of wind turbine utilization in adverse climates needs some special requirements, such as anti-icing or de-icing equipment for the blades. This paper gives a numerical investigation of a new approach, consisting of cyclically de-icing the wind turbine blades by intermittent warming of the surfaces. De-icing simulations were carried out for a MW-class rotor blade section. A paramentric study investigated the sustainability and effectiveness of warm air de-icing systems, in terms of the healting cycle duration and the heating energy consumption.