Fan blade de-icing system and method

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of wind power equipment maintenance, in particular to a wind turbine blade deicing system and method. The system comprises a curved surface fitting execution unit, an ice breaking unit arranged on the curved surface fitting execution unit and a sensing and control unit. The curved surface fitting execution unit is configured to change its own form based on a driving signal to dynamically fit the surface of a target wind turbine blade. The ice breaking unit is configured to output mechanical vibration energy and light pulse energy to act on the ice layer on the surface of the target wind turbine blade. The sensing and control unit is in communication connection with the curved surface fitting execution unit and the ice breaking unit, and is configured to generate a target control instruction based on real-time state information of the surface of the target wind turbine blade, and control the curved surface fitting execution unit and the ice breaking unit. Thus, the problems of high energy consumption, easy heat damage, poor curved surface adaptability and low thick ice removal efficiency in the related art are solved, and the self-adaptive, efficient and intelligent removal of thick ice layers on complex curved surfaces is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of wind power equipment maintenance technology, and in particular to a wind turbine blade de-icing system and method. Background Technology

[0002] Wind turbine blades are highly susceptible to icing in low-temperature and high-humidity environments, seriously threatening the aerodynamic performance and operational safety of the unit. De-icing technologies are mainly divided into two categories: thermal de-icing and mechanical de-icing, but both have significant drawbacks.

[0003] However, while electrothermal de-icing is widely used, it consumes extremely high amounts of energy, and the large surface temperature difference can cause thermal damage to the glass fiber composite material of the blades. Although purely mechanical de-icing methods avoid heat input, they are limited by the uneven stress field distribution of fixed transducers, resulting in low efficiency in removing thick ice layers. Furthermore, passive scraping devices often cannot closely conform to the complex curved surface of the blades, leading to incomplete de-icing or equipment jamming due to excessive gaps. These issues urgently need to be addressed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a wind turbine blade de-icing system and method to solve the problems of high energy consumption, easy thermal damage, poor adaptability to curved surfaces, and low efficiency in removing thick ice in related technologies, and achieves adaptive, efficient and intelligent removal of thick ice layers on complex curved surfaces.

[0005] The first aspect of this application provides a wind turbine blade de-icing system, including the following steps: A curved surface bonding execution unit is configured to change its own shape based on a drive signal in order to dynamically bond to the surface of a target wind turbine blade. An ice-breaking unit is disposed on the curved surface fitting execution unit, and the ice-breaking unit is configured to output mechanical vibration energy and light pulse energy to act on the ice layer on the surface of the target wind turbine blade; A sensing and control unit is communicatively connected to the curved surface fitting execution unit and the ice-breaking unit. The sensing and control unit is configured to acquire real-time status information of the target wind turbine blade surface, generate target control commands based on the real-time status information, and control the curved surface fitting execution unit and the ice-breaking unit based on the target control commands.

[0006] Optionally, in some embodiments, the curved surface bonding execution unit is an actively deformable cable mesh structure, which consists of multiple connected shape memory alloy joints, fiber braiding layers, and protective layers. The cable mesh structure is configured to control the shape memory alloy joints to bend quantitatively based on a drive signal to dynamically bond to the surface of the target wind turbine blade.

[0007] Optionally, in some embodiments, the icebreaking unit is integrated into the cable net structure, and the icebreaking unit includes: A vibration subunit configured to apply shear vibration to the ice layer on the surface of the target wind turbine blade; A pulsed laser subunit is configured to emit a pulsed laser beam toward the ice layer to generate an initial crack.

[0008] Optionally, in some embodiments, the vibrating subunit includes a plurality of piezoelectric ceramic elements arranged in at least one group at each of the shape memory alloy joints; Among them, there is a preset phase difference between multiple piezoelectric ceramic elements in the same group, and the piezoelectric ceramic elements are configured to excite torsional shear waves in the ice layer.

[0009] Optionally, in some embodiments, the pulsed laser subunit includes a laser and a scanning optical head, the scanning optical head being mounted at the front end of the cable net structure in the direction of movement; The pulsed laser subunit and the vibration subunit maintain a preset offset distance in space, so that the initial crack generated by the pulsed laser is located in front of the stress concentration area generated by the vibration subunit, so as to use vibration energy to drive crack propagation.

[0010] Optionally, in some embodiments, the sensing and control unit includes an optical fiber sensing network and a central control subunit; The fiber optic sensing network is embedded inside the curved surface bonding execution unit, and the fiber optic sensing network is configured to monitor the state parameters of the target wind turbine blade surface and generate feedback signals. The central control subunit is communicatively connected to the curved surface fitting execution unit, the ice-breaking unit, and the fiber optic sensor network, respectively. The central control subunit is configured to dynamically decouple and adjust the motion parameters of the curved surface fitting execution unit, the vibration parameters of the ice-breaking unit, and the laser parameters based on the feedback signal.

[0011] Optionally, in some embodiments, the state parameters of the target wind turbine blade surface include at least one of the temperature, strain, and ice thickness data of the target wind turbine blade surface.

[0012] The wind turbine blade de-icing system provided in this application utilizes a curved surface fitting execution unit that changes its shape based on a drive signal to dynamically fit the surface of the target wind turbine blade; an ice-breaking unit outputs mechanical vibration energy and light pulse energy to act on the ice layer on the target wind turbine blade surface; and a sensing and control unit generates target control commands based on the real-time status information of the target wind turbine blade surface and controls the curved surface fitting execution unit and the ice-breaking unit. This solves the problems of high energy consumption, easy thermal damage, poor adaptability to curved surfaces, and low efficiency in removing thick ice in related technologies, achieving adaptive, efficient, and intelligent removal of thick ice layers on complex curved surfaces.

[0013] A second aspect of this application provides a method for de-icing wind turbine blades, employing the aforementioned wind turbine blade de-icing system. The method includes the following steps: The sensing and control unit acquires real-time status information of the target wind turbine blade surface. In response to the real-time status information meeting the preset icing triggering condition, the curved surface bonding execution unit is driven to change its shape based on the first control command, so that the gap between the curved surface bonding execution unit and the target wind turbine blade surface is within a preset range. Based on the real-time status information, the initial working parameters of the ice-breaking unit are set, and the curved surface fitting execution unit is driven to move along a preset path. The vibration subunit and the pulsed laser subunit are activated. During the movement, the initial working parameters are dynamically corrected according to the real-time updated status information. When the current residual ice layer is less than the preset removal threshold, a stop command is generated, and the vibration subunit and the pulse laser subunit are turned off, and the curved surface fitting execution unit is controlled to reset to the initial state.

[0014] According to one embodiment of this application, the initial operating parameters include the motion speed of the curved surface fitting execution unit, the vibration frequency of the vibration subunit, and the laser energy density of the pulsed laser subunit. The dynamic correction of the initial operating parameters includes: The motion speed of the surface fitting execution unit is corrected based on the first correction strategy, which is: ; in, The initial velocity, For real-time icing rate; The vibration frequency of the vibrating subunit is corrected based on a second correction strategy, which is as follows: ; in, The initial vibration frequency, For real-time temperature The coefficient of friction below, The initial friction coefficient; The laser energy density of the pulsed laser subunit is corrected based on a third correction strategy, which is as follows: ; in, The initial laser energy density, This is the real-time temperature.

[0015] According to one embodiment of this application, the preset path is: ; Where s is the spanwise displacement, r(s) is the cross-sectional radius at s, R is the blade root reference radius, and L is the total blade length.

[0016] According to the wind turbine blade de-icing method provided in this application, a curved surface fitting execution unit changes its own shape based on a drive signal to dynamically fit the surface of the target wind turbine blade; an ice-breaking unit outputs mechanical vibration energy and light pulse energy to act on the ice layer on the surface of the target wind turbine blade; and a sensing and control unit generates target control commands based on the real-time status information of the target wind turbine blade surface and controls the curved surface fitting execution unit and the ice-breaking unit. This solves the problems of high energy consumption, easy thermal damage, poor adaptability to curved surfaces, and low efficiency in removing thick ice in related technologies, achieving adaptive, efficient, and intelligent removal of thick ice layers on complex curved surfaces.

[0017] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this application will become apparent and readily understood from the following description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a wind turbine blade de-icing system according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the structural composition of a wind turbine blade de-icing system according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the principle of cable mesh surface bonding according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the laser-vibration synergistic ice-breaking mechanism according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 This is a flowchart of a wind turbine blade de-icing method according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a main flowchart of a control algorithm according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating the generation of a three-dimensional spiral motion trajectory according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application.

[0020] Those skilled in the art will understand that wind turbine blades are highly susceptible to icing in low-temperature, high-humidity environments, severely impacting the aerodynamic performance and operational safety of the unit. Existing de-icing technologies are mainly divided into two categories: thermal de-icing and mechanical de-icing. Electrothermal de-icing involves laying a heating film or resistance wire inside the blade and generating heat through electricity to melt the ice layer. However, this method has extremely high energy consumption (up to 380W / m²), and the huge temperature difference on the blade surface (>120℃) can cause thermal damage to the fiberglass composite material, resulting in a decrease in its interlaminar shear strength of more than 20%. Although some technologies have introduced SMA as a trigger switch, their core still relies on the thermal melting of ice using graphene films and resistance wires, failing to solve the fundamental problems of thermal damage and high energy consumption.

[0021] Purely mechanical de-icing methods (such as pneumatic pulse, electric pulse, or passive scraping) avoid heat input but have significant drawbacks. For example, ultrasonic-based de-icing methods use piezoelectric transducers fixed inside the blade to excite high-frequency vibrations and utilize interfacial shear stress for de-icing. However, in this method, the transducer is fixed in position, and the resulting stress field is difficult to distribute uniformly over complex curved surfaces and long distances, resulting in low removal efficiency (<60%) for thick ice layers (>8mm) and poor coupling effect in areas with drastic changes in blade curvature (such as the blade root and leading edge). In addition, passive scraping ropes cannot fit tightly against the blade surface (gap >15mm), leading to incomplete de-icing and a tendency to jam.

[0022] In summary, the existing technologies mainly have the following common problems: (1) poor adaptability to curved surfaces: rigid or fixed de-icing mechanisms cannot fit closely with the complex aerodynamic shape of the blades (curvature radius <0.5m), resulting in low energy transfer efficiency; (2) difficulty in removing thick ice: for dense ice layers with high density and strong bonding strength (>2MPa), it is difficult to peel them off quickly and effectively with a single energy form (pure heat or pure vibration); (3) lack of intelligent feedback and control: the de-icing strategy cannot be adjusted in real time according to the state of the ice layer (thickness, position), resulting in ineffective operation or excessive de-icing, and serious energy waste.

[0023] Based on this, this application proposes a multimodal collaborative physical de-icing system and dynamic control method that combines shape memory alloy actuation, high-frequency mechanical vibration and pulsed laser thermal shock.

[0024] The following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, describes a wind turbine blade de-icing system and method according to embodiments of this application.

[0025] Specifically, Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a wind turbine blade de-icing system provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, the wind turbine blade de-icing system includes a curved surface fitting execution unit 100, an ice-breaking unit 200, and a sensing and control unit 300.

[0027] The curved surface bonding execution unit is configured to change its shape based on a drive signal to dynamically bond to the surface of the target wind turbine blade. The ice-breaking unit, located on the curved surface bonding execution unit, is configured to output mechanical vibration energy and light pulse energy to act on the ice layer on the surface of the target wind turbine blade. The sensing and control unit is communicatively connected to the curved surface bonding execution unit and the ice-breaking unit, respectively. The sensing and control unit is configured to acquire real-time status information of the surface of the target wind turbine blade, generate target control commands based on the real-time status information, and control the curved surface bonding execution unit and the ice-breaking unit based on the target control commands.

[0028] Specifically, the curved surface bonding execution unit of this application embodiment is driven by receiving specific electrical or thermal signals, and uses the phase change characteristics of the material itself or mechanical transmission mechanism to generate controllable deformation, thereby matching the complex variable curvature surface of the target wind turbine blade in real time on the geometric topology. This dynamic bonding capability effectively eliminates the physical gap between the traditional rigid de-icing device and the blade surface caused by curvature mismatch, ensuring zero-distance contact between the energy transfer medium and the ice layer.

[0029] The ice-breaking unit, mounted on the curved surface fitting execution unit, employs a multi-modal energy synergy strategy. It is configured to synchronously or sequentially output high-frequency mechanical vibration energy and high-energy optical pulse energy. The mechanical vibration energy aims to excite shear stress waves inside the ice layer to destroy the bonding strength of the ice-matrix interface, while the optical pulse energy utilizes the instantaneous thermal shock effect to induce microcrack initiation on the surface and subsurface of the ice layer. The precise coordination of the two in space and time forms a synergistic ice-breaking mechanism of laser pre-cracking and vibration propagation, which significantly reduces the threshold required for breaking thick ice with a single energy form and achieves rapid peeling of high-density ice layers.

[0030] As the nerve center of the system, the sensing and control unit collects multi-dimensional state information such as temperature field, strain distribution and ice thickness on the blade surface in real time through an embedded sensor network. Based on the built-in control algorithm, it performs decoupling analysis and feature recognition on the above data. Accordingly, the unit generates target control commands including shape adjustment instructions, vibration frequency parameters and laser energy density. Through a closed-loop feedback mechanism, it dynamically adjusts the deformation amplitude of the curved surface fitting execution unit and the energy output strategy of the ice breaking unit, ensuring that the system can achieve adaptive operation according to changes in ice growth rate and environmental conditions, thereby maximizing de-icing efficiency while ensuring zero damage to the blade structure.

[0031] Optionally, in some embodiments, the curved surface bonding execution unit is an actively deformable cable mesh structure, which consists of multiple connected shape memory alloy joints, fiber braiding layers and protective layers. The cable mesh structure is configured to control the shape memory alloy joints to bend quantitatively based on a drive signal in order to dynamically bond to the surface of the target wind turbine blade.

[0032] Specifically, the adaptive curved surface bonding execution unit in this application embodiment is an actively deformable cable net structure. This cable net structure consists of a core layer composed of multiple shape memory alloy joints connected in series, a high-strength fiber braided reinforcement layer surrounding the core layer, and a flexible protective layer with a low coefficient of friction covering the outermost layer. By applying a control current to the shape memory alloy joints, they can bend quantitatively, driving the entire cable net to dynamically bond to the blade surface, controlling the bonding gap to within 3mm.

[0033] Preferably, the shape memory alloy joint in this embodiment can be a NiTiNb alloy, whose bending angle θ and driving current I satisfy the relationship: θ = k·I + b, where k is a proportionality coefficient and b is the initial bias angle.

[0034] Optionally, in some embodiments, the ice-breaking unit is integrated into the cable net structure. The ice-breaking unit includes: a vibration subunit configured to apply shear vibration to the ice layer on the surface of the target wind turbine blade; and a pulsed laser subunit configured to emit a pulsed laser to the ice layer to generate an initial crack.

[0035] The preferred motion trajectory of the cable net is a reciprocating or spiral path along the spanwise and / or chordwise direction of the blades.

[0036] Optionally, in some embodiments, the vibrating subunit includes a plurality of piezoelectric ceramic elements arranged in at least one group at each shape memory alloy joint; wherein there is a preset phase difference between the plurality of piezoelectric ceramic elements in the same group, and the piezoelectric ceramic elements are configured to excite torsional shear waves in the ice layer.

[0037] Optionally, in some embodiments, the pulsed laser subunit includes a laser and a scanning optical head, with the scanning optical head mounted at the front end of the cable net structure in the direction of movement; the pulsed laser subunit and the vibration subunit maintain a preset offset distance in space, so that the initial crack generated by the pulsed laser is located in front of the stress concentration area generated by the vibration subunit, so as to use vibration energy to drive crack propagation.

[0038] Specifically, the multimodal collaborative ice-breaking unit of this application embodiment is integrated onto the cable net structure, including a high-frequency vibration subunit for generating high-frequency vibration and a pulsed laser subunit for generating pulsed laser. The high-frequency vibration subunit consists of multiple piezoelectric ceramic elements distributed at each SMA joint, used to apply high-frequency shear vibration of 20-40kHz to the ice layer. The pulsed laser subunit consists of a fiber laser and a scanning optical head, installed at the front end of the cable net in the direction of movement, used to emit laser pulses with a pulse width on the nanosecond scale to the ice layer, forming micron-scale burst points on the ice surface and generating initial cracks.

[0039] Furthermore, the laser spot of the pulsed laser subunit has a fixed offset distance relative to the working area of ​​the high-frequency vibration subunit in the direction of movement of the cable net, which is not specifically limited here.

[0040] As one possible implementation, the high-frequency vibration subunit in this embodiment can be a PZT-5H piezoelectric ceramic ring, arranged in pairs with a 90° phase difference to generate torsional shear waves. The pulsed laser subunit can be an Nd:YAG laser with a wavelength of 1064 nm and a pulse width of 50 ± 5 ns. The laser spot maintains a fixed offset distance in the direction of cable net movement to act in front of the stress concentration area generated by the vibration subunit.

[0041] Optionally, in some embodiments, the sensing and control unit includes a fiber optic sensing network and a central control subunit; the fiber optic sensing network is embedded inside the curved surface bonding execution unit, and is configured to monitor the state parameters of the target wind turbine blade surface and generate feedback signals; the central control subunit is communicatively connected to the curved surface bonding execution unit, the ice-breaking unit and the fiber optic sensing network respectively, and is configured to dynamically decouple and adjust the motion parameters of the curved surface bonding execution unit, the vibration parameters of the ice-breaking unit and the laser parameters according to the feedback signals.

[0042] In some embodiments, the state parameters of the target wind turbine blade surface include at least one of the following: temperature, strain, and ice thickness data of the target wind turbine blade surface.

[0043] Specifically, the intelligent sensing and control unit of this application includes a distributed fiber optic sensor network for real-time monitoring of blade surface state parameters, and a central controller for dynamically adjusting the operating parameters of the adaptive curved surface bonding execution unit and the multimodal collaborative ice-breaking unit based on the state parameters. The distributed fiber optic sensor network is embedded in the cable net structure to monitor the temperature, strain, and ice thickness of the blade surface in real time. The central controller receives feedback signals from the sensor network and, based on a preset dynamic control model, decouples and adjusts the cable net's movement speed, vibration frequency, laser energy density, and cable net tension in real time, achieving closed-loop adaptive control of the de-icing process.

[0044] In addition, the wind turbine blade de-icing system of this application may also include a fault protection module, which is used to automatically stop operation and issue an alarm when the drive current or cable tension is detected to exceed a safety threshold.

[0045] To facilitate a clearer and more intuitive understanding of the wind turbine blade de-icing system of this application by those skilled in the art, the following is combined with... Figures 2-4 Further details will be provided.

[0046] Reference Figure 2 The system structure block diagram shown in this embodiment provides an adaptive multimodal collaborative de-icing system for wind turbine blades. Its core components include an intelligent control unit (300), a drive and retraction unit (400), an adaptive de-icing cable net unit (100), and a multimodal collaborative ice-breaking unit (200) integrated on the cable net, forming a closed-loop architecture of "perception-decision-execution".

[0047] The intelligent control unit (300) is the "brain" of the system, comprising two core components: a central controller (320) employing an industrial-grade PLC or a high-performance embedded computer, responsible for running the built-in control algorithm, receiving and processing sensor data, and sending instructions to each execution unit; and a distributed fiber optic sensor network (310) whose core is a BOTDR (Brillouin Optical Time Domain Reflectometer) demodulator, which monitors the temperature (T) and strain (ε) of the blade surface in real time and inverts the ice thickness (δ) through a single-mode fiber (G.652.D) embedded in the cable net, achieving measurement accuracies of ±0.5℃, ±1με, and ±0.1mm, respectively. This network feeds back the real-time data to the central controller (320).

[0048] Furthermore, the drive and retraction unit (400) is installed at the blade root or in the nacelle. It includes two brushless motors (main 3kW, backup 1.5kW), a magnetic coupler, and a pulley system with self-de-icing function. It is controlled by the central controller (320) to precisely control the speed, direction and tension (rated torque 120Nm) of the cable net (100) on the blade surface by retracting and extending the rope.

[0049] The adaptive de-icing cable net unit (100) is key to achieving curved surface fitting. The de-icing cable (110) is a multi-layer composite structure: the core layer (111) is composed of multiple NiTiNb-based shape memory alloy joints (111a) connected in series to form a "bionic joint chain". A single joint can produce a bend of 15° to 65° after being energized (3-7A, 2-5 seconds), and the relationship between its bending angle θ and the driving current I is calibrated as θ = 12·I + 15°. The reinforcing layer (112) is woven from high-strength Kevlar49 fibers, tightly wrapping the core layer and providing a tensile strength of over 3600MPa. The outer cladding layer (113) is made of PTFE / silicone composite material (thickness 0.3mm, coefficient of friction ≤0.12), protecting the blade surface and ensuring smooth sliding of the cable net.

[0050] Furthermore, the multimodal collaborative ice-breaking unit (200) is integrated onto the de-icing cable (110) and comprises two main sub-units: a high-frequency vibration sub-unit (210): a set of PZT-5H piezoelectric ceramic rings are embedded on both sides of each SMA joint (111a), with the two sets arranged with a 90° phase difference, used to excite efficient shear waves in the ice layer. The operating frequency is adjustable from 20-40kHz, the amplitude is ±5μm, and the power consumption of a single set is ≤30W. The pulsed laser sub-unit (220): includes an fiber-coupled Nd:YAG pulsed laser (wavelength 1064nm, pulse width 50ns, single pulse energy 80mJ) and a scanning optical head. The optical head is mounted at the front end of the cable net in the direction of movement, focusing the laser into a spot with a diameter of 3mm, and scanning at a frequency of 1-10Hz in the direction perpendicular to the movement direction, with a scanning offset distance of 10±2mm.

[0051] Furthermore, Figure 3 The flowchart illustrates the adaptive bonding control process of the cable net. The controller first outputs a 3-7A drive current to the shape memory alloy joint, causing it to undergo a phase change upon heating and produce a quantitative bend linearly related to the current. Distributed optical fibers embedded in the cable net monitor the gap between the cable net and the blade surface in real time and compare it with a set 3mm threshold. If the gap is greater than 3mm, the current is automatically adjusted to increase the bending angle. When the gap reaches or falls below 3mm, bonding is confirmed complete, and the current current state is maintained, proceeding to the subsequent de-icing stage.

[0052] Furthermore, such as Figure 4As shown, microcracks are generated by laser pulses, and high-frequency vibrations drive the dynamic propagation of these cracks to the interface, achieving efficient peeling. Specifically, nanosecond-level laser pulses first act on the ice surface, creating burst points with a diameter of approximately 50 micrometers through micro-vaporization, introducing initial microcracks into the ice. Subsequently, high-frequency shear waves create periodic stress concentrations at the crack tips, causing the stress intensity factor to continuously increase and driving the crack to propagate rapidly along a 45° direction at a speed of no less than 3.2 meters per second. When the crack reaches the bonding region between the ice layer and the blade, the interface breaks down, and the ice layer ultimately peels off from the blade surface. The laser is responsible for pre-damage nucleation, while vibration is responsible for dynamic crack propagation; the two work synergistically in both time and space.

[0053] The following is a detailed explanation using a specific example.

[0054] This embodiment applies the system to a 5MW offshore wind turbine to verify its reliability in harsh environments. Based on the turbine blade de-icing system, a special design was made for the offshore salt spray environment: the SMA joint surface is nickel-plated (20μm thick) to prevent corrosion; the cable net outer cladding is modified with graphene to make its surface resistance <10Ω to prevent static electricity accumulation; and the laser window is protected with sapphire glass.

[0055] The system was tested in a simulated environment of -25℃ with 5% NaCl salt spray. It was still able to operate stably, with a de-icing rate of over 94.3% and an annual corrosion rate of less than 0.01 mm / year for key components. This fully demonstrates the environmental adaptability and reliability of the system of the present invention.

[0056] This application proposes a wind turbine blade de-icing system that achieves zero thermal damage, efficient removal of thick ice layers, and adaptability to complex blade surfaces. The system utilizes a surface-fitting actuator that changes its shape based on a drive signal to dynamically fit the target wind turbine blade surface. An ice-breaking unit outputs mechanical vibration energy and light pulse energy to act on the ice layer on the target wind turbine blade surface. A sensing and control unit generates target control commands based on the real-time status information of the target wind turbine blade surface and controls the surface-fitting actuator and the ice-breaking unit. This solves the problems of high energy consumption, easy thermal damage, poor surface adaptability, and low thick ice removal efficiency in related technologies, achieving adaptive, efficient, and intelligent removal of thick ice layers on complex curved surfaces.

[0057] Next, the de-icing method for wind turbine blades according to the embodiments of this application is described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0058] like Figure 5 As shown, the de-icing method for wind turbine blades includes the following steps: In step S501, the sensing and control unit acquires the real-time status information of the target wind turbine blade surface. In response to the real-time status information meeting the preset icing triggering condition, the curved surface bonding execution unit is driven to change its shape based on the first control command, so that the gap between the curved surface bonding execution unit and the target wind turbine blade surface is within the preset range.

[0059] In step S502, the initial working parameters of the ice-breaking unit are set based on the real-time status information, and the curved surface fitting execution unit is driven to move along the preset path. The vibration subunit and the pulse laser subunit are activated. During the movement, the initial working parameters are dynamically corrected according to the real-time updated status information.

[0060] In step S503, when the current residual ice layer is less than the preset removal threshold, a stop command is generated, the vibration subunit and the pulse laser subunit are turned off, and the control surface bonding execution unit is reset to its initial state.

[0061] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the initial operating parameters include the motion speed of the curved surface fitting execution unit, the vibration frequency of the vibrating subunit, and the laser energy density of the pulsed laser subunit. Dynamic correction of the initial operating parameters includes: The motion speed of the surface-fitting execution unit is corrected based on the first correction strategy, which is as follows: ; in, The initial velocity, For real-time icing rate; The vibration frequency of the vibrating sub-unit is corrected based on the second correction strategy, which is as follows: ; in, The initial vibration frequency, For real-time temperature The coefficient of friction below, The initial friction coefficient; The laser energy density of the pulsed laser subunit is corrected based on the third correction strategy, which is as follows: ; in, The initial laser energy density, This is the real-time temperature.

[0062] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the preset path is: ; Where s is the spanwise displacement, r(s) is the cross-sectional radius at s, R is the blade root reference radius, and L is the total blade length.

[0063] Specifically, this embodiment of the application uses a distributed optical fiber sensor network to monitor the ice layer state parameters on the blade surface in real time. When the ice layer thickness reaches a preset threshold, the adaptive curved surface bonding execution unit is activated to control the bending of the shape memory alloy joint, so that the cable net and the blade surface reach a preset bonding gap. Based on the current ice layer state parameters, the initial operating parameters of the multimodal collaborative ice-breaking unit are calculated and set, including the cable net movement speed, vibration frequency, and laser energy density.

[0064] Furthermore, the cable net is driven to move along a preset path, and the high-frequency vibration subunit and pulse laser subunit are activated simultaneously. During the movement, the working parameters are dynamically adjusted according to the real-time feedback of the sensor network. When the residual ice layer is detected to be lower than the preset threshold, the ice-breaking unit is stopped and the cable net is reset.

[0065] Furthermore, the initial value of the cable net's movement speed With ice thickness The relationship is: ;in, This is the preset speed coefficient.

[0066] Furthermore, dynamically adjust the speed of the cable net movement. The control model used is: ; in, For time, For real-time icing rate, and This is the preset adjustment coefficient.

[0067] Furthermore, dynamically adjust the vibration frequency. The control model used is: ; in, The initial vibration frequency, For real-time temperature The coefficient of friction of the underlying ice layer, The initial friction coefficient, This is the preset frequency compensation coefficient.

[0068] Optionally, the preset path is a three-dimensional spiral path, and its trajectory is described by the following equation:

[0069] in, This represents the displacement along the blade span. for The blade cross-sectional radius at the location, The base radius of the leaf root. The total length of the blade. This is the preset spiral amplitude coefficient.

[0070] In addition, the embodiments of this application also include a fault protection step: when the drive current or cable tension is detected to exceed a preset safety threshold, all execution units are immediately stopped and the cable is reset.

[0071] To facilitate a clearer understanding of the wind turbine blade de-icing method of this application by those skilled in the art, the following is combined with... Figure 6 and Figure 7 Please provide a detailed explanation.

[0072] like Figure 6 As shown, the control process for de-icing using the above-mentioned wind turbine blade de-icing system includes the following steps: Step S1: Real-time monitoring and icing early warning. When the system is in standby mode, the intelligent control unit continuously monitors the blade surface through a distributed fiber optic sensor network. When the system detects that the ice thickness δ ≥ 3 mm in a certain area and the icing rate dδ / dt > 0.1 mm / min, it determines that it has entered the icing early warning state and activates the de-icing process.

[0073] Step S2: Adaptive Surface Fitting. The central controller outputs a drive current (e.g., 5A, lasting 3s) to the SMA joint in the target area, causing it to bend. Simultaneously, the fiber optic network monitors the contact strain between the cable net and the blade surface in real time until a gap value d≤3mm is detected, confirming that the fitting is complete.

[0074] Step S3: Initial De-icing Parameter Calculation. Based on the initial ice thickness δ0, the controller calculates the basic velocity v0 of the cable net movement, the initial vibration frequency Fv0, and the initial laser energy density El0: v0 = 0.08·δ0 (velocity coefficient k_v = 0.08 m / (s·mm)); Fv0 = 20 + 2·δ0 (20kHz is the base frequency, and 2kHz / mm is the thickness compensation coefficient). El0 = 0.8·e^(0.05(δ0-5)) (0.8 J / cm² is the basic energy of a 5mm ice layer).

[0075] Step S4: Dynamic de-icing execution and feedback control. The drive unit pulls the cable net along a preset optimized path to ensure that the cable net fully covers the blade surface.

[0076] At the same time, the system simultaneously activates the vibration subunit and the laser subunit. The laser pulse first generates a micro-vaporization zone (50 μm in diameter) on the ice surface, forming an initial crack. The shear wave generated by the high-frequency vibration forms a periodic stress concentration (>10 MPa) at the crack tip, driving the crack to rapidly extend along the 45° direction (speed ≥3.2 m / s) to the interface, ultimately causing the ice layer to peel off.

[0077] During the de-icing process, the controller receives feedback data from the fiber optic network every 0.5 seconds and adjusts the execution parameters in real time according to the following dynamic control equations to form a closed-loop control loop: Dynamic correction of cable net speed: ; The first term is the natural attenuation term of ice thickness, and the second term is the real-time icing rate compensation term.

[0078] Dynamic correction of vibration frequency: ; in The coefficient of friction at real-time temperature. This is the initial value.

[0079] Dynamic correction of laser energy: ; Provides energy compensation in low-temperature environments.

[0080] Step S5: Residual Ice Removal and Strategy Switching. When the fiber optic network detects that the residual ice area is >5%, the controller executes a powerful removal strategy: the instruction drive unit switches the cable net movement direction to the opposite direction and increases the tension to 150-200N. The laser energy density is increased to 1.2 times the currently calculated value. This state is maintained until the residual ice area is ≤5%, then proceeds to the next step.

[0081] Step S6: System Reset. After confirming that the ice layer has been cleared (δ<0.5mm), the controller first shuts down the laser and vibrator, and then instructs the drive unit to retract the cable net to its initial position at a constant speed. Finally, the SMA joint current is cut off, allowing it to cool and return to its straight shape, and the system returns to the standby monitoring state of Step S1.

[0082] Furthermore, the logic for generating the motion path of the cable net on the blade surface is as follows: Figure 7As shown, the calculation is performed using blade length, blade root reference radius, and cross-sectional radii at various positions along the span as input parameters, combined with a preset helical amplitude coefficient. The trajectory coordinates are directly determined by the spanwise displacement in the x-direction, while the y-direction is always zero. The z-direction is obtained by multiplying the ratio of the cross-sectional radius to the blade root radius by a sine function, thereby generating a three-dimensional helical curve distributed along the blade span. This path allows the cable net to cover the entire blade surface during movement, ensuring that de-icing operations are carried out without blind spots.

[0083] As shown in Table 1, the system and method of the present invention have significant advantages over the prior art: Table 1

[0084] This invention, through the integrated innovation of "adaptive bonding + vibration-laser collaboration + intelligent closed-loop control", has for the first time achieved efficient removal of thick ice layers under the premise of zero thermal damage in the field of wind turbine blade de-icing. At the same time, it significantly reduces energy consumption and improves reliability in extreme environments, solving a technical problem that has long plagued the field.

[0085] It should be noted that the foregoing explanation of the wind turbine blade de-icing system embodiment also applies to the wind turbine blade de-icing method of this embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0086] The wind turbine blade de-icing method proposed in this application utilizes a curved surface fitting execution unit that changes its shape based on a drive signal to dynamically fit the surface of the target wind turbine blade; an ice-breaking unit outputs mechanical vibration energy and light pulse energy to act on the ice layer on the target wind turbine blade surface; and a sensing and control unit generates target control commands based on the real-time status information of the target wind turbine blade surface and controls the curved surface fitting execution unit and the ice-breaking unit. This solves the problems of high energy consumption, easy thermal damage, poor adaptability to curved surfaces, and low efficiency in removing thick ice in related technologies, achieving adaptive, efficient, and intelligent removal of thick ice layers on complex curved surfaces.

[0087] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0088] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "N" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0089] Any process or method described in the flowchart or otherwise herein can be understood as representing a module, segment, or portion of code comprising one or more N executable instructions for implementing custom logic functions or processes, and the scope of the preferred embodiments of this application includes additional implementations in which functions may be performed not in the order shown or discussed, including substantially simultaneously or in reverse order depending on the functions involved, as should be understood by those skilled in the art to which embodiments of this application pertain.

[0090] The logic and / or steps represented in the flowchart or otherwise described herein, for example, can be considered as a sequenced list of executable instructions for implementing logical functions, and can be embodied in any computer-readable medium for use by, or in conjunction with, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device (such as a computer-based system, a processor-included system, or other system that can fetch and execute instructions from, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device). For the purposes of this specification, "computer-readable medium" can be any means that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transmit programs for use by, or in conjunction with, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of computer-readable media include: an electrical connection having one or more wires (electronic device), a portable computer disk drive (magnetic device), random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable and editable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), fiber optic devices, and portable optical disc read-only memory (CDROM). Alternatively, the computer-readable medium may be paper or other suitable media on which the program can be printed, since the program can be obtained electronically, for example, by optically scanning the paper or other medium, followed by editing, interpreting, or otherwise processing as necessary, and then stored in a computer memory.

[0091] It should be understood that the various parts of this application can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the above embodiments, the N steps or methods can be implemented using software or firmware stored in memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. For example, if implemented in hardware as in another embodiment, it can be implemented using any one or a combination of the following techniques known in the art: discrete logic circuits having logic gates for implementing logical functions on data signals, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) having suitable combinational logic gates, programmable gate arrays (PGAs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.

[0092] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the methods in the above embodiments can be implemented by a program instructing related hardware. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, the program includes one or a combination of the steps of the method embodiments.

[0093] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into a processing module, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into a module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. If the integrated module is implemented as a software functional module and sold or used as an independent product, it can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium.

[0094] The storage medium mentioned above can be a read-only memory, a disk, or an optical disk, etc. Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting this application. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A wind turbine blade de-icing system, characterized in that, include: A curved surface bonding execution unit is configured to change its own shape based on a drive signal in order to dynamically bond to the surface of a target wind turbine blade. An ice-breaking unit is disposed on the curved surface fitting execution unit, and the ice-breaking unit is configured to output mechanical vibration energy and light pulse energy to act on the ice layer on the surface of the target wind turbine blade; A sensing and control unit is communicatively connected to the curved surface fitting execution unit and the ice-breaking unit. The sensing and control unit is configured to acquire real-time status information of the target wind turbine blade surface, generate target control commands based on the real-time status information, and control the curved surface fitting execution unit and the ice-breaking unit based on the target control commands.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The curved surface bonding execution unit is an actively deformable cable mesh structure, which consists of multiple connected shape memory alloy joints, fiber braiding layers and protective layers. The cable mesh structure is configured to control the shape memory alloy joints to bend quantitatively based on a drive signal in order to dynamically bond to the surface of the target wind turbine blade.

3. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The icebreaking unit is integrated into the cable net structure, and the icebreaking unit includes: A vibration subunit configured to apply shear vibration to the ice layer on the surface of the target wind turbine blade; A pulsed laser subunit is configured to emit a pulsed laser beam toward the ice layer to generate an initial crack.

4. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The vibrating subunit includes a plurality of piezoelectric ceramic elements, which are arranged in at least one group at each of the shape memory alloy joints; Among them, there is a preset phase difference between multiple piezoelectric ceramic elements in the same group, and the piezoelectric ceramic elements are configured to excite torsional shear waves in the ice layer.

5. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The pulsed laser subunit includes a laser and a scanning optical head, the scanning optical head being mounted at the front end of the cable net structure in the direction of movement; The pulsed laser subunit and the vibration subunit maintain a preset offset distance in space, so that the initial crack generated by the pulsed laser is located in front of the stress concentration area generated by the vibration subunit, so as to use vibration energy to drive crack propagation.

6. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sensing and control unit includes an optical fiber sensing network and a central control subunit; The fiber optic sensing network is embedded inside the curved surface bonding execution unit, and the fiber optic sensing network is configured to monitor the state parameters of the target wind turbine blade surface and generate feedback signals. The central control subunit is communicatively connected to the curved surface fitting execution unit, the ice-breaking unit, and the fiber optic sensor network, respectively. The central control subunit is configured to dynamically decouple and adjust the motion parameters of the curved surface fitting execution unit, the vibration parameters of the ice-breaking unit, and the laser parameters based on the feedback signal.

7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The state parameters of the target wind turbine blade surface include at least one of the following: temperature, strain, and ice thickness data of the target wind turbine blade surface.

8. A method for de-icing wind turbine blades, characterized in that, The wind turbine blade de-icing system as described in any one of claims 1-7 is characterized by the following steps: The sensing and control unit acquires real-time status information of the target wind turbine blade surface. In response to the real-time status information meeting the preset icing triggering condition, the curved surface bonding execution unit is driven to change its shape based on the first control command, so that the gap between the curved surface bonding execution unit and the target wind turbine blade surface is within a preset range. Based on the real-time status information, the initial working parameters of the ice-breaking unit are set, and the curved surface fitting execution unit is driven to move along a preset path. The vibration subunit and the pulsed laser subunit are activated. During the movement, the initial working parameters are dynamically corrected according to the real-time updated status information. When the current residual ice layer is less than the preset removal threshold, a stop command is generated, and the vibration subunit and the pulse laser subunit are turned off, and the curved surface fitting execution unit is controlled to reset to the initial state.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The initial operating parameters include the motion speed of the curved surface fitting execution unit, the vibration frequency of the vibration subunit, and the laser energy density of the pulsed laser subunit. The dynamic correction of the initial operating parameters includes: The motion speed of the surface fitting execution unit is corrected based on the first correction strategy, which is: ； in, The initial velocity, For real-time icing rate; The vibration frequency of the vibrating subunit is corrected based on a second correction strategy, which is as follows: ； in, The initial vibration frequency, For real-time temperature The coefficient of friction below, The initial friction coefficient; The laser energy density of the pulsed laser subunit is corrected based on a third correction strategy, which is as follows: ； in, The initial laser energy density, This is the real-time temperature.

10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The preset path is: ； Where s is the spanwise displacement, r(s) is the cross-sectional radius at s, R is the blade root reference radius, and L is the total blade length.

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