Ice mitigation in alpine wind farm: A centrifugal force-based icing-throw strategy study at natural icing environment

Abstract

Commercialized ice mitigation solutions for utility-scale wind turbines, such as electrothermal and icephobic coating systems, face significant challenges in alpine wind farms. Electrothermal systems exhibit heightened lightning strike vulnerability, while extreme environmental conditions accelerate coating degradation, paradoxically worsening ice accretion. This study proposes a centrifugal force-based ice mitigation strategy validated through field experiments on several 2.5 MW wind turbine generators (WTGs) at an operating alpine wind farm. Multi-dimensional performance evaluations integrated synchronized meteorological monitoring, SCADA data analysis, and blade root strain measurements during various icing episodes. Real-world validation via strain gauges confirmed operational safety within manufacturer's design blade loading limits. Comparative analysis with conventional methods revealed that the proposed strategy mitigates glaze ice with effectiveness comparable to electrothermal systems, while offering a 13 % higher efficacy in combating rime ice. When compared to turbines without a de-icing strategy, implementation of this approach reduced the power loss factor by 40 % during rime-dominated conditions, leading to a maximum electricity yield improvements of 79,459 kWh per multi-day icing event. Economic evaluation showed annual benefits ranging from 306,833 kWh to 3,730,416 kWh. This work presents a physics-based ice management paradigm that addresses different technical limitations of existing techniques, and provides wind farm owners with a cost-effective solution for mountainous regions, requiring no additional hardware. For manufacturers, it offers a strategic pathway to meet evolving market requirements while improving turbine LCOE competitiveness in energy markets.