A light lithium niobate transducer for the ultrasonic de-icing of wind turbine blades. (December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Zhenjun; Xu, Yuanming; Su, Fei; Wang, Yibing
• Is Part Of: Renewable energy. Volume 99(2016)
• Page Start: 1299
• Page End: 1305
• Publication Date: 2016-12
• Subjects: Piezoelectric ceramics -- Ultrasonic transducer -- Lead free material -- Harmonic analysis -- Wind turbine blade de-icing -- Ultrasonic de-icing; Renewable energy sources -- Periodicals; Power resources -- Periodicals; Énergies renouvelables -- Périodiques; Ressources énergétiques -- Périodiques; 333.794
• DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2016.05.020
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0960-1481

Abstract

Abstract: This paper proposes a non-thermal method for wind turbine blade de-icing. A lead-free lithium niobate compound is based to fabricate a light ultrasonic transducer as such material has a high Curie temperature of 1210 °C, compared with the commonly used piezoelectric ceramics (PZT). The detail of fabricating the transducer is provided, which includes an examination of the critical properties of the material, construction of the transducer and harmonic analysis of the plate-ice layered model. Test results showed that the lithium niobate transducer can remove effectively the ice layer created in a freezer at −15 °C on the outer surface of wind turbine blade sample. In addition, the optimal frequency of ultrasonic de-icing for wind turbine blade is found to be at 442 kHz driven under 50 V, which is agreeable with theoretical analysis. Highlights: The ultrasonic de-icing of wind turbine blades uses lithium niobate is proposed. A lithium niobate transducer design for wind turbine blades de-icing is given. The optimal frequency of ultrasonic de-icing of wind turbine blades is given.