Device and method for heating and deicing wind energy turbine blades
AssigneeThermion Systems International
InventorJohn A. Rolls
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to heatable wind energy turbine blades and to a method of heating and deicing the turbine blades using conductive fabrics to displace and/or cease the buildup of ice on the turbine blades by electrothermal fabric heater disposed or integrated on the turbines for effectively deicing the blades. Multiple turbine blade design methods are explored as well as heater materials and the application of such materials.
Claims15
A method for heating the surface of a wind energy turbine blade comprising:
- providing a pre-formed fabric heater element consisting of an inner layer composed of a fabric of electrically conductive fibers laminated between two fiberglass/resin layers;
- two outer layers of dielectric material disposed on opposing surfaces of said inner layer and encapsulating said inner layer, and electrical leads connected to said conductive fibers and adapted to receive power from a power source;
- disposing the pre-formed fabric heater element at a predetermined location within or on the surface of the blade, and
- energizing the electrically conductive fibers of the pre-formed fabric heater element to distribute heat evenly on the surface of the blade, thereby deicing or preventing ice build-up on the blade.
A heatable wind energy turbine, comprising a plurality of blades and fabric heaters and a means for connecting the fabric heaters to a power source;
- said fabric heaters being integrally disposed on said blades for providing heat evenly on the surface of the blades, and wherein each fabric heater comprises a pre-formed fabric heater element consisting of an inner layer composed of a fabric of electrically conductive fibers laminated between two fiberglass/resin layers;
- two outer layers of dielectric material disposed on opposing surfaces of said inner layer and encapsulating said inner layer, and electrical leads connected to said conductive fibers and adapted to receive power from a power source.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.