International. This technology takes a hybrid approach by adding sensors within an ice-repellent coating that can be easily added to wind or aviation turbine blades.
UBC Okanagan engineers collaborate with researchers at the University of Toronto to achieve a significant breakthrough in de-icing technology.
Their latest research, published in the issue of Nature Communications, examines an intelligent, hybrid defrosting system; That is, passive and also active, it works by combining an interfacial coating with a microwave sensor that detects ice.
The coating integrates the sensors into the material and allows heat to give off the ice without the need for a person or machine to physically melt it, explains UBCO's Dr. Mohammad Zarifi.
"Many of us have had the misfortune of sitting on a plane waiting to be defrosted while worrying about missing a connecting flight," says Dr. Zarifi, an associate professor in UBCO's School of Engineering and co-author of the report.
"Our new technology takes a hybrid approach by adding sensors within an ice-repellent coating that can be easily added to wind or aviation turbine blades."
Dr. Zarifi argues that unwanted ice accumulation is problematic with many renewable energy technologies, such as wind turbines and hydroelectric dams, aviation, and power transmission. Ice mitigation strategies can be divided into active or passive methods.
Active thawing involves an external energy input used to remove ice, usually through thermal, chemical, or mechanical methods. Conversely, passive thawing reduces the rate of ice accumulation, reduces the adhesion force between ice and surface, or both.
"No route to an ice-free surface is considered a panacea today, as active thawing methods use substantial energy, but passive thawing coatings cannot maintain an ice-free surface indefinitely," adds Dr. Zarifi.
"A hybrid system that combines passive and active de-icing technologies can be an attractive solution to the problems of ice accumulation," he says.
This is why the sensor that lives beneath the coating that will be applied to a turbine or aircraft could be a game changer. The sensor acts as an ice detector and prompts the built-in heaters to melt the ice automatically.
"This creates a substantial improvement in energy efficiency and is what distinguishes this latest innovation from existing approaches," said Zahra Azimi Dijvejin, PhD student and lead author of the study.
"The hybrid approach allows the operator to monitor equipment quickly and accurately in a sustainable manner," says Dijvejin.
The equipment will not need to be defrosted unnecessarily, avoiding wear and tear and energy waste because sensors can determine the need."
The sensors, which are embedded in innovative materials, could keep surfaces ice-free without using more chemicals or energy-intensive methods.
"We are moving from our experimentation phase to real-life use and have seen the technology withstand difficult conditions," Dr. Zarifi explained. "We are currently working with Canadian turbine manufacturers to incorporate the technology by next winter."
