An experimental study of icing distribution on a symmetrical airfoil for wind turbine blade in the offshore environmental condition

For offshore installations in high-latitude regions, such as offshore wind turbines, ice accretion sometimes occurs on the blade surface due to cold and humid environments or splashed seawater. Hence, a potential hazard exists for the wind turbine. Icing destroys the aerodynamic characteristics of the blade airfoil and increases operational and maintenance fees. In this paper, icing tests of blade airfoils under offshore icing conditions are carried out. An icing wind tunnel is built by combining a conventional wind tunnel with a naturally low temperature in winter. A blade segment with NACA0018 airfoil is selected, while the effects of salinity, temperature, and wind speed on the icing area, the thickness of ice, and the icing scope on the blade surface are tested and analyzed. Experimental results show that the icing area and the thickness of ice both increase linearly with icing time. Salinity can decrease the icing area, and the thickness of ice compared to non-salinity conditions but has a minor effect on the icing scope. The icing scope is mainly in the range of −20%-20% at the relative position of the blade chord. Research findings lay an experimental foundation for in-depth exploration of the icing characteristics of an offshore wind turbine.