Abstract
Aircraft icing presents a serious threat to the aerodynamic performance and safety of aircraft. The numerical simulation method for the accurate prediction of icing shape is an important method to evaluate icing hazards and develop aircraft icing protection systems. Referring to the phase-field method, a new ice accretion mathematical model is developed to predict the ice shape. The mass fraction of ice in the mixture is selected as the phase parameter, and the phase equation is established with a freezing coefficient. Meanwhile, the mixture thickness and temperature are determined by combining mass conservation and energy balance. Ice accretions are simulated under typical ice conditions, including rime ice, glaze ice and mixed ice, and the ice shape and its characteristics are analyzed and compared with those provided by experiments and LEWICE. The results show that the phase-field ice accretion model can predict the ice shape under different icing conditions, especially reflecting some main characteristics of glaze ice.
Highlights
The aircraft icing problem is one of the most serious problems in the aviation industry [1].Aircraft ice accretion may increase the weight of aircraft, and destroy the aerodynamic performance [2] and increase the resistance of aircraft [3], which is an important hidden danger leading to flight safety accidents
According to the ice shape, aircraft ice can be roughly categorized as rime ice, glaze ice and mixed ice [5]
We propose a new ice accretion model for aircraft icing based on the phase-field model
Summary
The aircraft icing problem is one of the most serious problems in the aviation industry [1].Aircraft ice accretion may increase the weight of aircraft, and destroy the aerodynamic performance [2] and increase the resistance of aircraft [3], which is an important hidden danger leading to flight safety accidents. The characteristic parameters of atmospheric conditions and flight status are the most important external factors for ice accretion, including liquid water content (LWC), median volume diameter (MVD), ambient temperature, etc. Due to the instantaneous freezing characteristic, rime ice is loosely cemented and falls off, but its surface maintains an aerodynamic shape and is less harmful to the flight security of aircraft. Glaze ice mainly occurs when the ambient temperature is relatively high, usually in the range of −10 ◦ C to 0 ◦ C, with higher LWC and relatively larger MVD. In this case, supercooled droplets do not freeze or partially freeze after hitting the surface. A fraction of residual liquid water flows under the action of external airflow and gradually freezes
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