De-icing and/or anti-icing of a wind turbine component by vibrating a piezoelectric material

Abstract

A system for de-icing and/or for avoiding an icing of a component of a wind turbine is provided. The system includes a vibrator. The vibrator includes a piezoelectric material and which is adapted to be mounted to at least to a portion of the component, and an electric generator, which is adapted to supply an electric signal to the vibrator, wherein the electric signal causes the vibrator to vibrate and to transfer vibrational energy to at least a surface portion of the component. A corresponding method for de-icing and/or for avoiding an icing of a component of a wind turbine is also provided.

1 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A system for de-icing and/or for avoiding an icing of a component of a wind turbine, the system comprising:
 a vibrator, which comprises a piezoelectric material and which is adapted to be mounted to a portion of the component; and   an electric generator, which is adapted to supply an electric signal to the vibrator, wherein the electric signal causes the vibrator to vibrate and to transfer vibrational energy to a surface portion of the component.   
     
     
         17 . The system as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the vibrator comprises a first piezoelectric film, which is sandwiched between two conductive layers, which are electrically connected to the electric generator. 
     
     
         18 . The system as claimed in  claim 17  wherein the piezoelectric film comprises a polymer material. 
     
     
         19 . The system as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the vibrator is coated with a protective layer. 
     
     
         20 . The system as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the vibrator is integrated within a surface layer of the component. 
     
     
         21 . The system as claimed in  claim 16 ,
 wherein the vibrator further comprises a second piezoelectric film, and   wherein a first plurality of piezoelectric polymer fibers of the first piezoelectric film are oriented in a first direction and a second plurality of piezoelectric polymer fibers of the second piezoelectric film are oriented in a second direction that is different than the first direction.   
     
     
         22 . The system as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the electric generator generates electric signals having variable frequencies and/or variable amplitudes. 
     
     
         23 . The system as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein a frequency range extends from 0.1 Hz to 10 kHz. 
     
     
         24 . The system as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the frequency range extends from 1 Hz to 10 kHz. 
     
     
         25 . The system as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the frequency range extends from 20 Hz to 2 kHz. 
     
     
         26 . The system as claimed in  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a sensor, which is connected to the electric generator and which is adapted to trigger an operation of the electric generator based on a determined environmental and/or operational condition of the wind turbine.   
     
     
         27 . The system as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein the vibrator and the sensor are realized using the same device. 
     
     
         28 . The system as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein the component is a blade of a rotor of the wind turbine. 
     
     
         29 . The system as claimed in  claim 28 , wherein the vibrator covers only a part of a surface of the blade. 
     
     
         30 . The system as claimed in  claim 29 , wherein the vibrator covers a part of a leading edge surface of the blade. 
     
     
         31 . The system as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the piezoelectric material of the vibrator comprises a layout including the shape of sectioned rectangles. 
     
     
         32 . The system as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the piezoelectric material of the vibrator comprises a layout having the shape of a plurality of stripes. 
     
     
         33 . The system as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the piezoelectric material of the vibrator comprises a layout having the shape of at least two rows of interconnected stripes. 
     
     
         34 . A method for de-icing and/or for avoiding an icing of a component of a wind turbine, the method comprising:
 supplying an electric signal from an electric generator to a vibrator, which comprises a piezoelectric material and which is mounted to at least to a portion of the component;   vibrating the vibrator in response to the supplied electric signal; and   transferring vibrational energy from the vibrating vibrator to at least a surface portion of the component.   
     
     
         35 . The method as claimed in  claim 34 ,
 wherein the component is a blade of a rotor of the wind turbine, and   wherein supplying the electric signal from the electric generator to the vibrator is controlled as a function of the actual rotational angle of the wind turbine rotor.