Cleaner Ice Control for Wind Turbines
Researchers have developed a chemical-free method to keep wind turbine blades warm and working efficiently.
Wind turbines are used to power various establishments, but their energy-harnessing ability is reduced during cold weather due to ice accumulation on the blades.
A team of researchers has developed a deicing method that avoids environmentally harmful chemicals while minimizing energy usage.
- The method builds on previous studies of surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD).
- SDBD uses an electrical current between two electrodes to control air flow and heat around an object.
The team's work uses numerical simulations to calculate heat distribution around wind turbine blades treated with SDBD.
The simulations accurately calculated heat distribution over time increments from nanoseconds to minutes.
Author's summary: Researchers develop chemical-free deicing for wind turbines.