Overview
ISO/TS 19392-6:2023 - Paints and varnishes - Coating systems for wind‑turbine rotor blades - Part 6: Determination and evaluation of ice adhesion using centrifuge - specifies a laboratory method to measure ice adhesion of artificial ice on coated test substrates using a centrifuge. The technical specification defines basic ice types (static and impact ice), test apparatus and conditions, sample preparation and conditioning, and procedures to achieve reproducible ice‑adhesion measurements for rotor‑blade coatings (including icephobic coatings).
Key topics and technical requirements
- Ice types:
- Static ice: formed by freezing deionized water on the surface.
- Impact ice: formed in an ice wind tunnel from impacting supercooled droplets.
- Apparatus: climatic chamber for freezing conditions, an ice wind tunnel for impact ice (calibrated per SAE ARP 5905), and a centrifuge equipped to detect ice detachment (piezoelectric cell, vibration or sound sensors).
- Test specimen: glass‑fibre composites or aluminium alloys are preferred; prepare and coat panels per supplier production process. Iced area typically 5–12 cm²; test beam radius typically 10–20 cm.
- Test parameters: example ranges provided in the standard - test temperature −1 to −20 °C; iced area 5–12 cm²; radius 10–20 cm; centrifuge parameter range 30–300 (see standard for detailed setup and units).
- Sampling and measurements: follow ISO 15528 and ISO 1513 for sampling and preparation; measure surface roughness per ISO 21920‑2 (Ra, Rz) before testing.
- Reproducibility and cycles: minimum three replicates per condition; at least three icing/de‑icing cycles to assess repeatability; multiple cycles for durability of icephobic performance.
- Failure modes: visual inspection after testing to classify adhesive (no ice residue - quantitative) or cohesive (ice residue - qualitative) failure.
Applications and who uses it
- Coating manufacturers developing and qualifying icephobic coatings for wind‑turbine rotor blades.
- Wind turbine OEMs and operators evaluating coating performance under cold‑climate conditions.
- Independent test laboratories and certification bodies performing standardized ice adhesion tests for specification compliance.
- R&D and materials researchers comparing ice adhesion mechanisms, coating roughness effects, and de‑icing durability.
Practical benefits include standardized, repeatable laboratory comparison of coatings, guidance on apparatus and sample handling to minimize artefacts, and data useful for optimizing coatings or thermal de‑icing systems.
Related standards
- ISO 1513 - Examination and preparation of test samples
- ISO 4618 - Paints and varnishes - Vocabulary
- ISO 15528 - Sampling for paints and varnishes
- ISO 21920‑2 - Surface texture (profile) parameters
- SAE ARP 5905 - Calibration and acceptance of icing wind tunnels
For implementation details, test programs and units/parameters, consult the full ISO/TS 19392‑6:2023 document.
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