Author Topic: Wind turbines in freezing weather (Read 1188 times)

force9BOAT · « **on:** August 01, 2006, 01:10:01 AM »

Here near Seattle winters are relatively mild but I'm wondering about wind turbines in places like the mountains of Colorado or in the Northeast. Do blades or rotors ice up? If so what do you do about it?

kenputer · « **Reply #1 on:** July 31, 2006, 07:50:17 PM »

Here in Nova Scotia we have all forms of weather through the winter.snow,freezing rain and high winds :-) My towers are pipe and when the blades are full of snow or ice i take a rubber mallet and a few good taps on the pipe most times knocks the ice loose,if not have to wait for the sun to do it.I only have 4 & 6' blades,don't know what the big boys do.

Ken

harrie · « **Reply #2 on:** July 31, 2006, 07:52:46 PM »

Never had a problem in Northern Minnesota, and I have a 12 and 18 foot flying, Maybe just been lucky?

Ungrounded Lightning Rod · « **Reply #3 on:** July 31, 2006, 08:58:06 PM »

If you don't want to wait for the sun to come out, I seem to recall somebody once posting about putting a little DC through the alternator to melt ice free.

If your diodes are at ground level you can do that safely by hanging a couple headlight bulbs or other suitable resistors across them, one from battery + to one phase, the other from battery - to another phase.

(I have no personal experience on this.)

Chiron · « **Reply #4 on:** July 31, 2006, 09:17:42 PM »

I worked on a wind farm in Minnesota and we had a lot of icing because of the weather conditions on the ridge they were on. The blades of our turbines were black (and 70' long...) though they didn't seems to thaw any faster than the turbines with white blades nearby.

Wasn't much we could do when they'd ice up except stay out of the "throw range" in case a chunk of ice broke off. In a 20 MPH wind we wouldn't get within 1/4 mile. We had craters almost 3' across from ice shedding from spinning blades after a night of freezing rain......

It wasn't that big a problem except when the overnight temps were just below freezing. Once "cold weather" set in there wasn't much icing at all. Cold, foggy nights were the worst.

Oh well, not freezing my giblets off climbing those things in MN anymore..

nanotech · « **Reply #5 on:** August 01, 2006, 12:56:21 AM »

Where in The Frozen Wasteland are you at, Harrie? I'm just south of Thief River Falls.

Grant MacLeod · « **Reply #6 on:** August 01, 2006, 07:51:34 AM »

Where do you live kenputer? I'm just outside Halifax and am about to start building my first machine.

Grant MacLeod

kenputer · « **Reply #7 on:** August 01, 2006, 07:27:09 PM »

Hi Grant, I live out in Tantallon not to Far from Peggy's Cove,all my gennies are made from PMDC motors,if you would like to drop by some time and see my setup you are more then welcome to.

Ken

harrie · « **Reply #8 on:** August 01, 2006, 09:53:52 PM »

Hi Nanotech, seems like you asked before, Im just south of Deer River.

Grant MacLeod · « **Reply #9 on:** August 02, 2006, 11:31:17 AM »

Yes that would be interesting Ken. Some friends of ours have a place in French Village so I'm down your way every now and then anyway. If you want to email me directly at dgrantmacleod@hotmail.com we can get in touch

Thanks!

Grant

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