Wind tunnel tests on ice accretions on the surface of a static straight blade for the vertical axis wind turbine

Abstract

Icing on blade surface of the wind turbine set in cold regions is a serious problem. To invest the mechanism of icing and ice accretion on blade surface, wind tunnel tests were carried out on a static straight blade used for the straight-bladed vertical axis wind turbine by using a simple icing wind tunnel. The icing and ice accretions on blade surface at some typical attack angles were observed and recorded under different wind speeds and flow discharges of a water spray nozzle set in the wind tunnel outlet. The maximum icing thickness on the leading edge and trailing edge of blade surface were also measured and compared. Based on the test results, the factors affecting the icing and ice accretion on the static straight blade surface for wind turbine were discussed.