Numerical Investigation of Wind Turbine Airfoil Icing and Its Influencing Factors under Mixed-Phase Conditions

Xiang Wang (), Yiyao Ru, Huanyu Zhao and Zhengzhi Wang ()
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Xiang Wang: School of Energy and Power Engineering, Nanjing Institute of Technology, Nanjing 211167, China
Yiyao Ru: School of Energy and Power Engineering, Nanjing Institute of Technology, Nanjing 211167, China
Huanyu Zhao: Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Aircraft Ice Protection, AVIC Aerodynamics Research Institute, Shenyang 110034, China
Zhengzhi Wang: School of Energy and Power Engineering, Nanjing Institute of Technology, Nanjing 211167, China

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-14

Abstract: Icing is a popular research area in wind energy, and the icing problem of the supercooled droplet–ice crystal mixed-phase condition is one of the new challenges. A numerical method for analyzing the icing characteristics of wind turbine airfoil under mixed-phase conditions is presented. The control equations for the dynamics of supercooled droplets and ice crystals are formulated using the Lagrangian method. Equations for the conservation of mass and energy during the icing process involving supercooled droplets and ice crystals are constructed. The impact of erosion phenomena on the mixed-phase icing process is examined, and methodologies for solving the control equations are introduced. The numerical method is utilized for modeling mixed-phase icing under a range of conditions. The results of these simulations are then compared with data obtained from icing wind tunnel tests to assess the validity of the method. The influence of various mixed-phase conditions on ice shapes is studied. It is found that higher icing temperatures correspond to a larger icing range and amount. The increase in supercooled droplet content, ice crystal content, and ice crystal diameter all contribute to enhanced ice accretion. However, the effects of ice crystal content and diameter are relatively minor.

Keywords: wind turbine; mixed-phase icing; ice crystal; supercooled droplet; icing model (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: 2024
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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