Research

Digital image projection technique to quantify 3-dimensional geometry of transient water runback behaviors

Processed images

Related publications

L. Gao, Y. Liu, H. Hu. An experimental investigation on the dynamic glaze ice accretion process over a wind turbine airfoil surface. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer. 2020.149:119120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2019.119120
R.Veerakumar, L. Gao, Y. Liu, H. Hu. Dynamic ice accretion process and its effects on the aerodynamic drag characteristics of a power transmission cable model. Cold Regions Science and Technology. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2019.102908
L. Gao, R. Veerakumar, Y. Liu, H. Hu. Quantification of the 3D shapes of the ice structures accreted on a wind turbine airfoil model. Journal of Visualization. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12650-019-00567-4

Particle image velocimetry technique characterizes the flow structures around an ice accreting airfoil

Instantaneous PIV measurements

Aerodynamic penalties

Related Publications:

L. Gao, Y. Liu, W. Zhou, and H. Hu. An experimental study on the aerodynamic performance degradation of a wind turbine blade model induced by ice accretion process. Renewable Energy. 2019. 133(4): 663-675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2018.10.032

Infrared thermometry technique to real the heat transfer process associated with the dynamic icing

High-speed Imaging of Glaze Ice Formation

High-speed imaging for rime ice formation

Infrared imaging for surface temperature

Related Publications:

L. Gao, Y. Liu, H. Hu. An experimental investigation of dynamic ice accretion process on a wind turbine airfoil model considering various icing conditions. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer. 2019. 133: 930-939. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2018.12.181

Drone imaging system to measure the blade ice structures for utility-scale wind turbines

Related Publications:

L. Gao, H. Hu, Wind turbine icing characteristics and icing-induced power losses to utility-scale wind turbines, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 118 (2021) e2111461118. https://doi:10.1073/pnas.2111461118
L. Gao, T. Tao, Y. Liu, and H. Hu, A field study of ice accretion and its effects on the power production of utility-scale wind turbines. Renewable Energy. 167 (2021) 917-928. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2020.12.014

Scanning LiDARs for wind turbine wake studies in a large-scale wind farm.

LiDARs (left) and velocity contours of wind turbine wakes. Stars show the locations of wind turbines.

Ice mitigation strategies for wind turbine applications

Icing process (Reference)

Leading-edge heating (30% of the chord length)

Superhydro-/ice-phobic coating

Heating-coating hybrid (~90% energy saving)

Related Publications:

L. Gao, Y. Liu, L. Ma, H. Hu. A hybrid strategy combining minimized leading-edge electric-heating and superhydro-/ice-phobic surface coating for wind turbine icing mitigation. Renewable Energy. 2019. 140: 943-956. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2019.03.112
L. Ma, Z. Zhang, L. Gao, Y. Liu, H. Hu. Bio-inspired icephobic coatings for aircraft icing mitigation: A critical review. Reviews of Adhesion and Adhesives. 8 (2020) 168–199. https://doi.org/10.7569/RAA.2020.097307
L. Ma, Z. Zhang, L. Gao, Y. Liu, H. Hu. An exploratory study on using Slippery-Liquid-Infused-Porous-Surface (SLIPS) for wind turbine icing mitigation. Renewable Energy. 162 (2020) 2344–2360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2020.10.013

Icing forecasting for wind turbine icing loss and potential risk

Related Publications:

L. Gao, T. Dasari, J. Hong, Wind farm icing loss forecast pertinent to winter extremes, Sustain. Energy Technol. Assessments. 50 (2022) 101872. https://doi:10.1016/j.seta.2021.101872.
L. Swenson, L. Gao, J. Hong, L. Shen, An efficacious model for predicting icing-induced energy loss for wind turbines. Applied Energy. 305 (2022) 117809. https://doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.117809
T. Tao, Y. Liu, Y. Qiao, L. Gao, J. Lu, C. Zhang, Y. Wang, Wind turbine blade icing diagnosis using hybrid features and Stacked-XGBoost algorithm. Renewable Energy 180 (2021) 1004–1013. https://doi:10.1016/j.renene.2021.09.008
L. Gao, J. Hong. Wind turbine performance in natural icing environments: A field characterization. Cold Regions Science and Technology. 181 (2020) 103193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2020.103193

Impacts of complex atmospheric boundary flows on wind turbine power production and structural response

Wind veer

Turbulence influence on tower and blade loadings

Related Publications:

L. Gao, S. Yang, A, Abraham, J. Hong, Effects of inflow turbulence on the structural response of wind turbine blades. Journal of Wind Engineering & Industrial Aerodynamics. 2020.199: 104137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jweia.2020.104137
L. Gao, B. Li, J. Hong. Effect of wind veer on wind turbine power generation. Physics of Fluids (2020). 33 (2020) 015101. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0033826