Target temperature-based simulation method for predicting performance and designing aircraft thermal anti-icing systems

Abstract

The prevention of ice build-up on aircraft surfaces is crucial for safe operations. Thermal ice protection systems, particularly electro-thermal systems, are commonly employed to mitigate ice formation. However, the weight of electric batteries used in these systems significantly impacts aircraft performance, necessitating the minimization of power load during design. Despite this requirement, effective anti-icing operation mandates a sufficient heat flux to maintain surface temperature above the freezing point and evaporate any runback water film. Previous research has utilized numerical simulation analysis to predict the performance of electro-thermal anti-icing systems. The conjugate heat transfer method has been commonly employed to predict temperature distribution on the protected surface. However, non-isothermal surfaces exhibit distinct local convective heat transfer coefficients that influence local thermal balance, unlike isothermal surfaces that adopt the loosely-coupled method for computational efficiency. In this study, we present a novel target temperature-based anti-icing simulation method that predicts the required heat flux for thermal ice protection systems without employing the conjugate heat transfer method. Our objective was to calculate the necessary heat flux to achieve the desired non-isothermal surface temperature for effective anti-icing. By eliminating the excessive iteration process associated with the coupling method for conjugate heat transfer, we have streamlined the simulation procedure. Through validation, target temperature-based anti-icing simulation method, when compared to the tight coupling method, demonstrated the ability to predict the same surface water flow rates while reducing computation time by up to 90 %. Furthermore, when applied to design problems, our method achieved approximately a 10 % reduction in the required heat capacity for anti-icing compared to experimental values. As a result, target temperature-based anti-icing simulation method offers a more efficient alternative to traditional conjugate heat transfer methods, providing valuable insights for both predicting anti-icing system performance and optimizing aircraft design.