Efficient Wind Energy System for Icing Conditions

Wind energy in cold climate areas is set to grow rapidly and it is estimated that there will be an increase of 72% of installed capacity in ice prone areas from years 2012 to 2017. Icing on wind turbines has been recognized as a hindrance to the development of wind power in cold regions, where the uncertainty surrounding the effects of icing and low temperatures on energy production may prevent otherwise good wind resources from being utilized. The current wind capacity in cold climate regions is about 60GW. Performance losses are very common due to icing events leading to annual energy reduction of up to 40% in some cases. It is generally accepted that at harsh sites the annual power loss may be 20-50%. Such large scale possible power losses raise an urgent need to explore new technologies/methodologies to minimize these losses. To date there are no studies investigating the real potential of wind energy in cold climates, mainly because sites without cold climate conditions are the natural choice for investors. Also little attention has been paid to better design and technological solutions for wind turbine operations in cold climates. This lack of knowledge and the lack of proven economic solutions have limited large scale exploitation of wind energy in cold climates. The international wind agency (IEA) has specified that one of its objectives is to find methods to better understand ice accretion mechanisms and estimate their effects on energy production in cold regions. Increased knowledge, experience and improvements in wind turbine technologies for cold climate operations will enable the economics of wind energy projects to become more competitive and cost effective. Recent interest in offshore wind power development has also increased demand for knowledge about cold climate and icing issues, as turbines installed in shallow waters in northern Europe may be prone to icing and cold climate conditions. In addition, operational safety can also be improved.