Ice on wind turbine blades, high-voltage transmission line and aircraft wing is a serous problem in winter, which causes much losses of energy. There is always a strong demand for de-icing techniques that are effective, low in energy consumption, lower cost and reliable operation. Ultrasonic de-icing, as an new de-icing technique, attracts more attention due to its energy-saving, simplicity, lower expenses, good applicability and no pollution produced to environment. In this paper, recent progress on ultrasonic deicing technique is summarized in view of wind turbine blade de-icing:high-voltage transmission line deicing and aircraft wing de-icing. In particular, a plier-shaped device invented by a college student in China for high voltage transmission line ultrasonic de-icing is introduced. This device has won China national patent and been effectively put into practical use. Finally, the miniaturization of ultrasonic generator is proposed. The purpose of this paper is to provide theoretic and experimental support for the widespread application of ultrasonic de-icing technique. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.