Investigation of wind turbine faults caused by icing in the Canadian climate

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The presence of atmospheric icing greatly affects the performance of wind turbines mainly because**atmospheric icing alters the aerodynamic profile of the blades. Icing effects on turbines not equipped with ice**prevention systems are often longer since ice on the blades persists even though the icing event is over. The**main outcomes of icing on wind turbines are plant stoppage and/or reduce power output which can impact the**economics of a project. However, atmospheric icing can also lead to other consequences such as vibration,**noise, overload and overspeed. When overspeeding is caused by icing, stopping the turbine, thus increasing the**power losses may seem a justified action. However, some owners are concerned by the reason causing**overspeeding of the turbines especially for warranty availability issues. At times, turbine manufacturers are**trying to blame the lack of availability of some turbines on weather conditions (e.g. icing). As of now, there is**no commonly adopted methodology to ascertain the availability of turbines operated in cold climate. Capstone**Power Corporation, owner and operator of several wind farms throughout the country, is interested in**investigating the effect of icing on wind turbine behavior, particularly on the relation between icing**occurrences and overspeeding faults.