Icing Mitigation for Wind Turbines

Wind turbines in cold coastal climate experience frequent icing events. Icing may result in a variety of problems which can affect the production rate and availability of the turbines. The main focus of the proposed research is on how to deal with the icing issues at Kent Hills wind farm located in New Brunswick. Total loss of production revenue due to icing events at this wind farm was estimated to be around $2 million. The objective of the proposed research project is to investigate relationships among icing events, environmental and operational conditions, and mitigation options based on the historical data collected at Kent Hills wind farm. The results to be generated from this project will be useful for enhancement of wind turbine availability and reduction of production loss.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Ming J. Zuo

Student:

Ramin Moghaddass

Partner:

TransAlta

Discipline:

Engineering - mechanical

Sector:

Alternative energy

University:

University of Alberta