An experimental study on surface de-icing of glass fiber-reinforced plastic plate by electrothermal and ultrasonic coupling method
Shen He, Zhang Fupeng, Guo Wenfeng, Xu Zhi, Yan Li
Abstract
In cold and humid regions, ice easily accumulates on the blade surface of wind turbines. Icing reduces the output power of wind turbines and poses a significant safety risk. This paper proposes a new de-icing method that combines electrothermal and ultrasonic technologies. We designed and built an experimental system and conducted de-icing tests under electrothermal, ultrasonic, and coupling conditions. Furthermore, we introduced a method to evaluate the de-icing effect. The experimental results demonstrated that the coupling method integrates the advantages of both electrothermal and ultrasonic ones. It shortened the de-icing time and reduced energy consumption, energy consumption density, and peak temperature. Compared to the electrothermal method, the coupling method had a maximum decrease of 11.2 % in de-icing time, energy consumption, and energy consumption density. Additionally, it exhibited a substantial decrease of 55.4 % in peak temperature. The findings in this study offer a potential reference for developing reliable and cost-effective de-icing technologies for wind turbines.