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Planes have deicing boots. Holes in the leading edge of the wing that has a balloon on the inside. A non freezing gel is usually pumped in which expands the b
by o-__-o 6y ago
Planes have deicing boots. Holes in the leading edge of the wing that has a balloon on the inside. A non freezing gel is usually pumped in which expands the balloon out of the hole and causes the ice to crack. It then retracts and this process repeats keeping the wing clear of ice.
- bearbin 6y agoNot really usable for wind turbines though, the energy cost would be significant first of all (compare the blade area of a wind turbine to a plane!) The bigger issue is maintenance. Wind turbine leading edges are a very hostile environment compared to a plane and even normal materials get abraded very quickly, plus they are expected to last for many years without significant maintenance. Anti-ice systems would just not be economical if they had to be maintained to a working condition at all times.
- xxpor 6y agoGiven they can generate their own electricity, wouldn't it make more sense to just heat the blades?
- o-__-o 6y agoIf you consider plane propellers, they do not have de-icers and must avoid known icing limits. The rotation of the blade causes the ice to fly off the blade up to a certain point. After that point, thrust will be impacted and altitude cannot be maintained. Dropping to a lower altitude will usually resolve the problem. Wing surface deformation is a larger issue for planes and probably not the solution here