3 ms·

Not 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

Not 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 ago
Given they can generate their own electricity, wouldn't it make more sense to just heat the blades?
- r00fus 6y ago
  Probably not worth the EROEI
- conk 6y ago
  Heating the blades would be nearly impossible with any significant wind chill. I imagine anyplace that has wind turbines is going to have significant wind chill.
o-__-o 6y ago
If 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