Numerical study of icing impact on the performance of pitch-regulated large wind turbine

Abstract

This paper presents a study of the impact of icing on the performance of a pitch-regulated large wind turbine. Numerical simulations of six blade sections of the NREL 5 MW wind turbine at various free stream velocities are performed. Blade Element Momentum (BEM) method along Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) bases multiphase numerical simulations are used for this study. Analysis shows that the simulated parameters are in good agreement with the real conditions for each blade element during operation, except for the three-dimensional effects. The analysis of accreted ice shapes and air/droplet flow fields around the blade profile sections was carried out, and the calculation of aerodynamic performance, and energy production degradation was also performed. The tip of the blade is most affected by icing, it is characterized by the greatest changes in the aerodynamic performance. Maximum reduction in the wind turbine performance is estimated to be around 24%.