Gamesa launches an innovative anti-icing paint for wind turbine blades . (Credit: Gamesa)Gamesa, a Spanish wind turbine manufacturer, has developed an anti-icing paint that prevents ice formation on wind turbine blades.
According to Gamesa, the solution, called Bladeshield, not only prevents the formation of ice but also boosts the anti-icing paint’s resistance to erosion as some other solutions sometimes do.
A new additive, developed by Gamesa, is dissolved first in a dispersing agent and then in the paint base. This ultimately results in a homogenous mix that improves the paint’s anti-erosion and durability properties.
The anti-icing paint was processed under the scope of the Azimut project for the development of offshore technology. This project is being sponsored by the CDTI (acronym in Spanish for the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology). This system is the result of three years of research into the use of new raw materials in wind energy, specifically the application of nanomaterials in the development of coatings.
Bladeshield, the company’s first anti-icing solution, is targeted at satisfying the growing need for systems that optimise blade performance and availability at wind farms located in cold regions.
“Although Gamesa already had blade de-icing systems, it has developed this innovative solution in anticipation of the emerging needs of our increasingly sophisticated and demanding customers. Most of the anti-icing solutions on the markets studied within Azimut project reduce blade paint´s resistance to erosion. Gamesa has attempted to remain one step ahead, using nanomaterials to create a system that not only prevents ice formation but also improves anti-erosion performance,” said José Antonio Malumbres, Gamesa’s Chief Technology Officer.
Development of wind farms in cold climates is growing. EWEA forecasts that between 45 and 50 gigawatts of wind energy will be built in cold climates by 2017, 72% more than at year-end 2012. Gamesa has already established a presence in northern Europe, specifically in Finland, where it has signed two framework agreements with Tuuliwatti for the supply of 285 MW and 135 MW, and Sweden, where it has been contracted to supply four G114-2.0 MW turbines to Eolus Vind. Gamesa is also present in Canada and China.
