A research project on the performance of ice detection methods

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Our research and innovation project manager, Charles Godreau, has been awarded a three-year, $96,000 research grant to quantitatively evaluate the performance of the most commonly used ice detection methods in the wind energy industry.

Direct methods, such as frost detectors, and indirect methods, such as dual anemometry and power loss measurement, are used, but little has been said or written about the performance and reliability of these techniques.

Despite the challenges that cold climates pose for the operation of wind farms, their installation in such climates will not come to a halt. On the contrary, colder regions offer clear advantages for the development of wind farms: low population density, strong winds, and high air density. Since frost forms more readily at higher altitudes, wind turbine sizes continue to increase, and wind farms are often located in complex, mountainous terrain, the presence of ice on wind turbine blades will become increasingly common.

The results of this project will therefore be an invaluable source of knowledge for the development of wind farms in cold climates, as they will shed light on current uncertainties regarding ice detection methods and thus help optimize energy production. The project will also help reduce operating costs and extend the service life of wind turbines by minimizing the mechanical stress caused by ineffective de-icing or incorrect detection of ice by sensors.

All frost sensors are installed on one of the 2-MW wind turbines currently in operation or on one of the 126-meter measurement masts located at the Nergica research site. The objectives of the research project are as follows:

• Quantify the performance of ice detection methods using real-world data from sensors installed on wind turbines or weather masts;
• Quantify the uncertainties associated with ice detection methods and sensors;
• Suggest the most reliable methods for detecting ice in the wind power industry that are best suited to Quebec’s cold climate;
• Standardize methods for detecting frost.

This research project is also part of the efforts of the Working Group on Wind Energy in Cold Climates—"Task 19" of the International Energy Agency—on which Charles Godreau serves as Canada’s representative. This objective is a priority for the group, and Nergica is committed to addressing the information gap currently evident in the studies conducted to date.

It should be noted that this project has received a grant from the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies as part of the Research Program for College Researchers.

For more information about the project, please feel free to contact Charles Godreau.