Guided wave–based approach for ice detection on wind turbine blades

An efficient ice detection system is an important tool to optimize the de-icing processes in wind turbines operating in cold climate regions. The aim of this work is to study the application of guided wave for ice detection on wind turbine blades. Computational model is developed to simulate guided wave propagation on composite structures. The model has been validated with experimental data obtained in cold climate laboratory. Effect of ice accretion on composite structures is studied in the time, frequency and wavenumber domains. In each case, post-processing algorithms as well as icing index are introduced which are sensitive to accumulated ice on the composite structure. The algorithms and icing index are applied to both simulation results and experimental data. Analysis of the obtained results has shown that the guided wave–based approach can be used for developing ice detection systems for wind turbine blades.