Risk Assessment and Value of Action Analysis for Icing Conditions of Wind Turbines Close to Highways

Sima Rastayesh, Lijia Long, John Dalsgaard Sørensen and Sebastian Thöns
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Sima Rastayesh: Department of Civil Engineering, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
Lijia Long: Department of Civil Engineering, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
John Dalsgaard Sørensen: Department of Civil Engineering, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
Sebastian Thöns: Department 7: Safety of Structures, Federal Institute of Materials Research and Testing, 12205 Berlin Germany

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 14, 1-15

Abstract: The paper presents research results from the Marie Sk?odowska-Curie Innovative Training Network INFRASTAR in the field of reliability approaches for decision-making for wind turbines and bridges. This paper addresses the application of Bayesian decision analysis for installation of heating systems in wind turbine blades in cases where an ice detection system is already installed in order to allow wind turbines to be placed close to highways. Generally, application of ice detection and heating systems for wind turbines is very relevant in cases where the wind turbines are planned to be placed close to urban areas and highways, where risks need to be considered due to icing events, which may lead to consequences including human fatality, functional disruptions, and/or economic losses. The risk of people being killed in a car passing on highways near a wind turbine due to blades parts or ice pieces being thrown away in cases of over-icing is considered in this paper. The probability of being killed per kilometer and per year is considered for three cases: blade parts thrown away as a result of a partial or total failure of a blade, ice thrown away in two cases, i.e., of stopped wind turbines and of wind turbines in operation. Risks due to blade parts being thrown away cannot be avoided, since low strengths of material, maintenance or manufacturing errors, mechanical or electrical failures may result in failure of a blade or blade part. The blade (parts) thrown away from wind turbines in operation imply possible consequences/fatalities for people near the wind turbines, including in areas close to highways. Similar consequences are relevant for ice being thrown away from wind turbine blades during icing situations. In this paper, we examine the question as to whether it is valuable to put a heating system on the blades in addition to ice detection systems. This is especially interesting in countries with limited space for placing wind turbines; in addition, it is considered if higher power production can be obtained due to less downtime if a heating system is installed.

Keywords: risk assessment; value of action analysis; icing conditions; wind turbine; blade; probability; highway (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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