This Uptime Wind Energy Podcast interview features host Allen Hall speaking with Aaron Dupuis, Director of Marketing at Phazebreak Coatings, about their ice phobic coating called Neinice that helps prevent icing on wind turbine blades. The coating contains microscopic phase change materials that absorb heat from liquid water as it freezes, preventing ice buildup so the turbines can continue operating in icy conditions. Aaron explains how the coating is applied, how long it lasts, how it has performed in tests, and how it can be used in conjunction with existing deicing systems. He also discusses how partnering with Aerones and their inspection robots has helped optimize application time and efficiency.



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Phazebreak Coatings - https://www.phazebreak.com/Pardalote Consulting - https://www.pardaloteconsulting.comWeather Guard Lightning Tech - www.weatherguardwind.comIntelstor - https://www.intelstor.com



Allen Hall: I'm Allen Hall, host of the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast. Wind turbine icing is a massive problem. Most wind turbines in the U. S. and Northern Europe are installed in locations that are susceptible to icing. And yet a significant number of the wind turbines do not have any de icing system. Our guest today is Aaron Dupuis, Director of Marketing at Phazebreak Coatings.



And Phasebreak Coatings produces Neinice, the ice phobic coating that is being used on wind turbines to keep them humming during icing conditions. The coating contains a microscopic phase change materials that absorb heat from the liquid water as it freezes. This heat prevents the water from freezing solid and the ice does not form easily and it sheds off the surface.



I'm really interested in learning more about phase break during this podcast. Aaron, welcome to the program.



Aaron Dupuis: Thank you very much, Allen. I really appreciate it.



Allen Hall: So we all know from the icing events that happened in Texas, because that's a very noticeable event, that obviously Texas does not have de icing systems on their wind turbine blades as they readily admit.



And why, and why would they, honestly?



Aaron Dupuis: Why would they? You wouldn't expect you'd need it.



Allen Hall: No, you, you shouldn't really need it. It's what's once every hundred years they may have an ice storm. But they've had two ice storms in about a five year period. So it, it is actually a lot more common than we thought.



And that left to hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars lost and deaths and all kinds of horrible things happened there that, that drove the industry to change a little bit. Right. So we're, we're, we're now seeing some more interest in how do I protect these wind turbines that don't have a de icing system.



Aaron Dupuis: We were lucky enough at the time to have just coded half the turbines on a farm in Oklahoma. We had 50 coded and 50 uncoded in Oklahoma during that same Valentine's weekend, winter storm. And we, what we ended up seeing, our customer gave us data back and we saw 109% improvement in the coated turbines over the uncoated.



And many of them kept turning and came back online earlier than the uncoated varieties. And again, so, you know, Oklahoma, Texas, these aren't really the first things you think of when you think, where do I need to put de icing, right? You're thinking North Dakota, South Dakota. We've been up there, but actually some of our first and frankly to our customers, most important installations have been in that kind and foremost installation.



Midwestern middle of America band there.