A New Melting Model in Electrothermal De-Icing Simulation

Abstract

A melting model which is based on the Enthalpy-Porous Medium method is applied to study the transient heat transfer and ice melting process in a multi-layered body which was covered by ice and heated by electrothermal de-icing system. Three typical cases including one-dimensional, two-dimensional and three-dimensional model are studied. The liquid fraction is computed based on the enthalpy balance. The mushy zone is modeled as a pseudo-porous medium in which the porosity ranges from 0 (solid) to 1 (liquid) as the ice melting. The melting time and process are both investigated as well as the ice-water interface profiles and water thickness for the three typical geometries. The computational results show that the melting model is valid for simulating the process of transient heat transfer and ice-melting. The Enthalpy-Porous Medium method can be used to study thermal de-icing systems of aircraft or aeroengine inlet. The method can also be used to judge the ice shedding. A parallel interface is introduced at the position of 0.2 mm away from the ice/abrasion shield interface to simulate ice shedding. The computational results show that the new melting model is effectiveness and can be used to provide detailed information for de-icing system design.