Ice detection using thermal infrared radiometry on wind turbine blades

This paper takes advantage of the remote sensing techniques to propose a novel approach for icing detection without physical contact. The approach is based on the drastic emissivity change that it is produced over a surface characterized with a low emissivity value when ice appears. An experiment was conducted using a broad-band thermal radiometer and a section of a wind turbine blade. Radiometric temperature measurements were collected over the blade with and without an aluminium foil patch. The piece of blade was cooled down and different scenarios were considered, including frozen with and without ice. This study was completed with a sensitivity analysis of the approach to dust accumulation, accounting for real operation conditions. Results show the feasibility of this technique to detect ice formation and discern between frozen and icing conditions.