Mathematical modeling of ice body formation on the wing airfoil surface

Abstract

The main models and methods for investigating the process of icing of aerodynamic surfaces, the meteorological parameters of the icing, the cloud types, the types of the ice coating, and the systems of protection against icing are analyzed. A software is developed which makes it possible to model the icing on the leading edge of the wing airfoil. The motion of the carrying medium is described on the basis of the Navier-Stokes equations for a compressible gas, together with the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model. A delayed model is applied to describe the motion of supercooled water droplets. The numerical modeling of the ice accretion process is based on the control volume method which consists in the solution of the differential equations of the mass, momentum, and energy conservation for any surface element using a model which allows for the surface moisture behavior on macro- and microlevels. With reference to the example of the NACA 0012 airfoil in two-dimensional viscous compressible two-phase flow the main shapes of the ice bodies are reproduced with account for the ice accretion regime, the form of the moisture existence on the airfoil, the surface heating, and the effect of the variation in the airfoil geometry on the external flow and the aerodynamic characteristics.