Novel Cohesive/Adhesive Ice Shedding Model for Spinner Cone

Abstract

In turbofan engine, ice accretion on a spinner cone may lead to a decline in the engine aerodynamic performance and an increase of the vibration amplitude of the engine. The shedding ice debris from the spinner cone may damage fan blades and endanger flying safety. An understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the ice shedding process is necessary to optimize the design of spinner cone and de-icing system to avoid hazardous ice shedding. The combination of ice adhesive and cohesive failure leads to the complexity of the ice shedding from a rotating spinner cone. In this paper, a novel ice shedding model for a spinner cone with consideration of ice cohesive and adhesive failure is proposed. The cohesive zone material model is applied to simulate the initiation and propagation of ice/spinner cone interface crack. The extended finite element method is introduced to model crack growth inside the ice. The ice shedding process from a spinner cone is explained and analyzed by using the combination of cohesive zone material and extended finite element method. Some factors that affect the break-up and shedding of the ice are discussed, which include the mechanical properties of the ice and ice/spinner cone interface. A preliminary validation of this model is carried out through the comparison of numerical results and experimental data. This model can provide useful information for further study on the ice debris trajectory prediction and ice impact analysis.