Abstract:AC ice - melting is in a great demand of distribution network in Sichuan power grid. The principle,characteristics and application scope of AC ice - melting method which is used commonly in Sichuan power grid are summarized. Through comparison,the existing AC ice - melting method has some limitations due to the fixed ice - melting current. As a beneficial supplement to AC ice - melting,the AC ice - melting using transformers in series improves the applicability of the existing method. The AC ice - melting using series capacitor compensation has a wider application prospect because of its adjustable ice - melting current.