Median Volumetric Diameter Research Articles

Aircraft ice accretion prediction based on geometrical constraints enhancement neural networks

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to establish a novel airfoil icing prediction model using deep learning with geometrical constraints, called geometrical constraints enhancement neural networks, to improve the prediction accuracy compared to the non-geometrical constraints model.Design/methodology/approachThe model is developed with flight velocity, ambient temperature, liquid water content, median volumetric diameter and icing time taken as inputs and icing thickness given as outputs. To enhance the icing prediction accuracy, the model involves geometrical constraints into the loss function. Then the model is trained according to icing samples of 2D NACA0012 airfoil acquired by numerical simulation.FindingsThe results show that the involvement of geometrical constraints effectively enhances the prediction accuracy of ice shape, by weakening the appearance of fluctuation features. After training, the airfoil icing prediction model can be used for quickly predicting airfoil icing.Originality/valueThis work involves geometrical constraints in airfoil icing prediction model. The proposed model has reasonable capability in the fast assessment of aircraft icing.

Numerical analysis of impingement characteristics of supercooled large droplets on the surface of a rotating hood

The authors of this study numerically analyze the characteristics of impingement of supercooled large droplets on the surface of the rotating hood of an aircraft. We use the secondary development function of Fluent software to first compare the prevalent models of impinging supercooled large droplets and then develop a modified model to numerically simulate their characteristics of impingement on the surface of a rotating hood in order to examine the effects of the diameter of the droplets, the speed of rotation, and the corresponding velocity of inflow on them. The results showed that the efficiency of the loss of mass of the droplets caused by their splashing and rebounding was low on the top of the cone, while the efficiency of local droplet collection was the highest. The efficiency of mass loss quickly increased, while that of droplet collection sharply decreased in the area of transition from the top to the side. The efficiencies of mass loss and droplet collection were nearly constant on the side of the cone, while that of the latter decreased to zero on the tail of the cone. When the median volumetric diameter of the droplets was increased from 79 to 250 µm, the efficiency of the loss of mass increased by about 15% on the side of the cone, but that of local droplet collection changed only slightly. The efficiency of the loss of mass decreased by about 20%, while that of local droplet collection increased by about 2.6% on the top of the cone under this condition. When the speed of rotation was increased from 1200 to 4300 r/min and the corresponding velocity of inflow was increased from 30 to 140 m/s, the efficiency of mass loss increased by about 15% on the side of the cone, while that of local droplet collection changed little. The efficiency of mass loss on the top of the cone decreased by about 37.5%, while that of local droplet collection increased by about 8% in this case.

A Study on the Sensitivities of an Ice Protection System Combining Thermoelectric and Superhydrophobic Coating to Icing Environment Parameters

The hybrid Ice Protection System combining thermoelectric and superhydrophobic coating is efficient and benefits from low-energy consumption. In order to explore the application details of superhydrophobic coating, this paper investigated the sensitivities of the Ice Protection System parameters including the range of the superhydrophobic coating, heating range and power to icing environmental parameters. In this paper, an icing wind tunnel test was adopted to study the performance of this Ice Protection System under different icing conditions, as well as the influence of the superhydrophobic coating range, heating range and power variation on ice protection. The results showed that the superhydrophobic coating is effective only when it covers the droplet impingement area, with the heating power requirement emerging as a critical design consideration that is extremely sensitive to environmental temperature changes. Additionally, median volumetric diameter determines the protection area to be protected, while liquid water content variation has little effect on the designed Ice Protection System in contrast.

Internal mixing air-assisted spray nozzle for large droplets: Experimental measurements and numerical simulations

In the present study, detailed experimental measurements of a large-droplet spray nozzle under a wide range of operating conditions have been conducted at China Aerodynamics Research and Development Center (CARDC) low-speed vertical wind tunnel facility. The droplet size distributions obtained from these measurements have been modeled using the Rosin-Rammler distribution. A multi-physics multi-phase numerical model for the simulation of the complex spray dynamics associated with the large-droplet spray nozzle has been developed in order to support the performance characterization of this device. More specifically, the primary breakup of liquid (water) in the atomizer-produced spray is modeled using a volume of fluid (VOF) to discrete phase model (DPM) transition representation. The numerical model is validated using the experimental measurements. The small relative error between the numerical predictions and experimental measurements for the droplet size distribution and for a number of characteristic droplet diameters suggest that the numerical model provides accurate high-fidelity predictions of the spray dynamics of the large-droplet spray nozzle. Moreover, it is shown that a simple modification of the spray nozzle (increasing the length of the mixing chamber by 50%) has a significant effect on the performance of the nozzle. In particular, the droplet median volumetric diameter and the spray angle are increased as the air pressure is decreased. Furthermore, an increase in the nozzle mixing chamber length results in a much broader droplet size distribution. The validated VOF-to-DPM transition model developed in this study can be used for a future redesign (involving modifications of some key geometric parameters) of the original large-droplet spray nozzle to generate reliably and robustly larger droplets required to simulate various supercooled large droplet conditions of practical relevance.

Development of a durable ice protective coating for use on rotorcraft

Ice protective coatings could revolutionize the aviation industry as they could assist or even replace traditional ice protection systems that increase the vehicle weight and power requirements. A major problem for many potential ice protective coatings is durability. This paper explores whether erosion resistant titanium aluminum nitride coatings (TiAlN) can be made ice protective by reducing both surface roughness and coating defects (such as pin holes or scratches). Cathodic arc physical vapor deposition was used to deposit TiAlN on 304 stainless steel. The coatings were polished post deposition using a vibratory polisher to achieve the highest quality coating to date (surface roughness of 12.6 nm). Aircraft representative impact ice adhesion strength testing was conducted using an instrumented centrifugal adhesion testing rig. The test results demonstrated that TiAlN coatings can be made ice protective. Coatings with a surface roughness of 12.6 nm were found to have an ice adhesion strength of 1.4 psi at −8 °C, with a droplet impact velocity of 60 m/s, icing cloud density of 0.9 g/m3, and a droplet median volumetric diameter of 20 μm. The research conducted not only demonstrated the capability to reduce ice adhesion strength by reducing surface roughness, but also showed that as TiAlN coatings became smoother (surface roughness varying from 1690 nm to 12.6 nm) the dependence of ice adhesion strength on temperature decreased. The result presented demonstrates that aircraft ice adhesion strength is a highly mechanical phenomenon as the ice interacts with the surface morphology.

Design procedures and experimental verification of an electro-thermal deicing system for wind turbines

Abstract. There has been a substantial growth in the wind energy power capacity worldwide, and icing difficulties have been encountered in cold climate locations. Rotor blade icing has been recognized as an issue, and solutions to mitigate accretion effects have been identified. Wind turbines are adapting helicopter rotor and propeller ice protection approaches to reduce aerodynamic performance degradation related to ice formation. Electro-thermal heating is one of the main technologies used to protect rotors from ice accretion, and it is one of the main technologies being considered to protect wind turbines. In this research, the design process required to develop an ice protection system for wind turbines is discussed. The design approach relies on modeling and experimental testing. Electro-thermal heater system testing was conducted at the Adverse Environment Rotor Test Stand at Penn State, where wind turbine representative airfoils protected with electro-thermal deicing were tested at representative centrifugal loads and flow speeds. The wind turbine sections tested were half-scale models of the 80 % span region of a generic 1.5 MW wind turbine blade. The icing cloud impact velocity was matched to that of a 1.5 MW wind turbine at full power production. Ice accretion modeling was performed to provide an initial estimate of the power density required to de-bond accreted ice at a set of icing conditions. Varying icing conditions were considered at −8 ∘C with liquid water contents of the cloud varying from 0.2 to 0.9 g/m3 and water droplets from 20 µm median volumetric diameter to 35 µm. Then, ice accretion thickness gradients along the span of the rotor blade for the icing conditions were collected experimentally. Given a pre-determined maximum power allocated for the deicing system, heating the entire blade was not possible. Heating zones were introduced along the span and the chord of the blade to provide the required power density needed to remove the accreted ice. The heating sequence for the zones started at the tip of the blade, to allow de-bonded ice to shed off along the span of the rotor blade. The continuity of the accreted ice along the blade span means that when using a portioned heating zone, ice could de-bond over that specific zone, but the ice formation could remain attached cohesively as it is connected to the ice on the adjacent inboard zone. To prevent such cohesive retention of de-bonded ice sections, the research determined the minimum ice thickness required to shed the accreted ice mass with the given amount of power availability. The experimentally determined minimum ice thickness for the varying types of ice accreted creates sufficient tensile forces due to centrifugal loads to break the cohesive ice forces between two adjacent heating zones. The experimental data were critical in the design of a time sequence controller that allows consecutive deicing of heating zones along the span of the wind turbine blade. Based on the experimental and modeling efforts, deicing a representative 1.5 MW wind turbine with a 100 kW power allocation required four sections along the blade span, with each heater section covering 17.8 % span and delivering a 2.48 W/in.2 (0.385 W/cm2) power density.

Nebulised Isotonic Hydroxychloroquine Aerosols for Potential Treatment of COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an unprecedented pandemic that has severely impacted global public health and the economy. Hydroxychloroquine administered orally to COVID-19 patients was ineffective, but its antiviral and anti-inflammatory actions were observed in vitro. The lack of efficacy in vivo could be due to the inefficiency of the oral route in attaining high drug concentration in the lungs. Delivering hydroxychloroquine by inhalation may be a promising alternative for direct targeting with minimal systemic exposure. This paper reports on the characterisation of isotonic, pH-neutral hydroxychloroquine sulphate (HCQS) solutions for nebulisation for COVID-19. They can be prepared, sterilised, and nebulised for testing as an investigational new drug for treating this infection. The 20, 50, and 100 mg/mL HCQS solutions were stable for at least 15 days without refrigeration when stored in darkness. They were atomised from Aerogen Solo Ultra vibrating mesh nebulisers (1 mL of each of the three concentrations and, in addition, 1.5 mL of 100 mg/mL) to form droplets having a median volumetric diameter of 4.3–5.2 µm, with about 50–60% of the aerosol by volume < 5 µm. The aerosol droplet size decreased (from 4.95 to 4.34 µm) with increasing drug concentration (from 20 to 100 mg/mL). As the drug concentration and liquid volume increased, the nebulisation duration increased from 3 to 11 min. The emitted doses ranged from 9.1 to 75.9 mg, depending on the concentration and volume nebulised. The HCQS solutions appear suitable for preclinical and clinical studies for potential COVID-19 treatment.

The effect of altitude on the prediction of momentum for rainfall erosivity studies in Mexico

Soil erosion is a mechanical process described by indices, such as kinetic energy or momentum of rainfall (M), which alters the protective cover of the ground surface. Optical disdrometer (PWS100) data, obtained between 2014 and 2018 at four sites across Mexico, were used to study the features of power and linear relationships between M and rainfall amounts (Acc). A comparison of the measurements showed that PWS100 usually estimated larger amounts of rainwater (PBIAS from 2 to 25%) with respect to gauges. The M-Acc relationships exhibited low dispersion, and the coefficients of the fitted expressions suggest an increase in M based on site altitude. Normalization of M based on the rainwater amount (M/Acc in N m−2 mm−1, hereafter Mmm) depended on the median volumetric diameter, D0, and speed of raindrop fall. The D0 was used as a proxy of raindrop spectrum broadness. Effect size results exhibited large values (d > 1.1) when Mmm means were compared between coastal and continental platforms. Furthermore, y-coefficients of the Mmm–D0 relationships suggested an effect of the altitude (related to the air density in the sampling site) over Mmm estimates. Based on the v(D) empirical formulas, a set of expressions were proposed to fit the Mmm observations of the four sampling sites using D0 and the corresponding atmospheric pressure or air density estimates. The results of performance measures showed that all equations predicted Mmm adequately thus suggesting that this erosivity parameter depended on both the amount of precipitation and the altitude (expressed as air density or atmospheric pressure) of the site at which the measurements were performed. These findings reinforce ideas regarding magnification of soil particle detachment via individual drops at higher altitude locations, as the force exerted is more significant with a decrease of air pressure and density.

Ice-Crystal Icing Investigation on a Honeywell Uncertified Research Engine in an Altitude Simulation Icing Facility

AbstractA Honeywell Uncertified Research Engine was exposed to various ice-crystal conditions in the NASA Propulsion Systems Laboratory (PSL). Simulations using NASA's one-dimensional (1D) Icing Risk Analysis tool were used to determine potential inlet conditions that could lead to ice-crystal accretion along the inlet of the core flowpath and into the high-pressure compressor. Baseline conditions were established, and parameters were varied to observe accretion characteristics. Data were acquired at altitudes varying from 5 kft to 45 kft, at nominal ice particle median volumetric diameters from 20 µm to 100 µm, and total water contents of 1 g/m3 to 12 g/m3. Metal temperatures were acquired for the inlet guide vane and vane stators 1–2. In situ measurements of the particle size distribution were acquired upstream and downstream of the engine fan face in order to study particle breakup behavior. Cameras were installed in the engine to capture ice accretions at the leading edge of the fan stator, splitter lip, and inlet guide vane. The goal of this study was to understand the key parameters of accretion, acquire particle breakup data aft of the fan, and generate a unique icing dataset for model development. Significant particle breakup downstream of the fan in the bypass was observed. The metal temperatures on the inlet guide vanes (IGVs) and stators show a temperature increase with increasing particle size. Accretion behavior at the fan stator and splitter lip across was very similar. However, accretion decreased with increasing particle size at the IGVs.

Comparison of different droplet measurement techniques in the Braunschweig Icing Wind Tunnel

Abstract. The generation, transport and characterization of supercooled droplets in multiphase wind tunnel test facilities is of great importance for conducting icing experiments and to better understand cloud microphysical processes such as coalescence, ice nucleation, accretion and riming. To this end, a spray system has been developed, tested and calibrated in the Braunschweig Icing Wind Tunnel. Liquid droplets in the size range of 1 to 150 µm produced by pneumatic atomizers were accelerated to velocities between 10 and 40 m s−1 and supercooled to temperatures between 0 and −20 ∘C. Thereby, liquid water contents between 0.07 and 2.5 g m−3 were obtained in the test section. The wind tunnel conditions were stable and reproducible within 3 % standard variation for median volumetric diameter (MVD) and 7 % standard deviation for liquid water content (LWC). Different instruments were integrated in the icing wind tunnel measuring the particle size distribution (PSD), MVD and LWC. Phase Doppler interferometry (PDI), laser spectroscopy with a fast cloud droplet probe (FCDP) and shadowgraphy were systematically compared for present wind tunnel conditions. MVDs measured with the three instruments agreed within 15 % in the range between 8 and 35 µm and showed high coefficients of determination (R2) of 0.985 for FCDP and 0.799 for shadowgraphy with respect to PDI data. Between 35 and 56 µm MVD, the shadowgraphy data exhibit a low bias with respect to PDI. The instruments' trends and biases for selected droplet conditions are discussed. LWCs determined from mass flow calculations in the range of 0.07–1.5 g m−3 are compared to measurements of the bulk phase rotating cylinder technique (RCT) and the above-mentioned single-particle instruments. For RCT, agreement with the mass flow calculations of approximately 20 % in LWC was achieved. For PDI 84 % of measurement points with LWC&lt;0.5 g m−3 agree with mass flow calculations within a range of ±0.1 g m−3. Using the different techniques, a comprehensive wind tunnel calibration for supercooled droplets was achieved, which is a prerequisite for providing well-characterized liquid cloud conditions for icing tests for aerospace, wind turbines and power networks.

COMPATIBILIDADE FÍSICO-QUÍMICA DE DIFERENTES DOSES E MISTURAS DE HERBICIDAS

A manutenção da produtividade de cultivos comerciais é dependente do uso de produtos fitossanitários, mas são restritas as informações sobre a interação entre eles quando usados em mistura. Assim, objetivou-se avaliar as propriedades físico-químicas, a tensão superficial, o ângulo de contato e o espectro de gotas de caldas fitossanitárias contendo diferentes doses e misturas dos herbicidas Glyphosate e Atrazine. Os tratamentos foram constituídos pela combinação de uma formulação do herbicida glyphosate com dois produtos comerciais formulados com o herbicida atrazine. As caldas foram avaliadas pelo método estático de compatibilidade físico-química obtendo-se tabelas descritivas quanto aos aspectos de homogeneidade/heterogeneidade. As medições da tensão superficial e ângulo de contato foram realizados durante um minuto empregando o método da gota pendente para determinar a cinética da tensão superficial e o método da gota séssil para determinar o ângulo de contato. Os atributos avaliados do espectro de gotas produzidos por cada tratamento foram o diâmetro mediano volumétrico, o coeficiente de uniformidade e a porcentagem de volume em gotas com diâmetros menores que 100 μm. É fundamental a agitação constante da calda fitossanitária antes e durante a aplicação para diminuir problemas de incompatibilidade entre os produtos. O espectro de gotas pode variar de acordo com a composição da calda de pulverização e com a dose do produto utilizado.

INFLUENCE OF GLYPHOSATE CONCENTRATIONS ON SPRAY SOLUTION PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND DRIFT POTENTIAL

ABSTRACT The herbicide glyphosate is sprayed with varying application volumes that result in different concentrations used in the spray solutions. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of glyphosate concentrations on the potential risk of droplet drift, surface tension of spray solution, and contact angle of droplets on surfaces. Three experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design. Drift potential was evaluated by median volumetric diameter (MVD), percentage volume of droplets with diameter smaller than 100 μm (%V<100 μm), and coefficient of uniformity (Span), with 12 replications. The surface tension of spray solutions and contact angle of droplets were evaluated on Urochloa ruziziensis leaves, paraffin film, and glass, with four replications. Changing glyphosate concentrations in the spray solution changes the droplet spectrum and contact angle on different surfaces due to changes in spray solution physicochemical characteristics, such as surface tension. The increased glyphosate concentrations in the spray solution lead to increased drift potential of droplets, reducing the surface tension and contact angle of droplets on surfaces.

Co-Spray-Dried Urea Cross-Linked Hyaluronic Acid and Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate as Novel Inhalable Dry Powder Formulation

The pathogenesis and progression of several lung disorders is propagated by inflammatory and oxidative processes, which can be controlled by adjunctive inhaled therapies. The present study aimed to develop an inhalable dry powder formulation consisting of co-spray-dried urea-crosslinked hyaluronic acid and sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SD HA-CL–SAP), a novel combination which was recently shown to possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and wound healing properties. Native HA and SAP were co-spray dried (SD HA–SAP) and evaluated as control formulation. Yield (Y%) and encapsulation efficiency (EE%) were 67.0 ± 4.8% and 75.5 ± 7.2% for SD HA–SAP, 70.0 ± 1.5% and 66.5 ± 5.7% for SD HA-CL–SAP, respectively. Both formulations were shown to be suitable for lung delivery in terms of morphology, particle size (median volumetric diameter ∼ 3.4 μm), physical and thermal stability, in vitro aerosol performance - respirable fraction: 30.5 ± 0.7% for SD HA–SAP and 35.3 ± 0.3% for SD HA-CL–SAP. SAP release was investigated using Franz cells and air-interface Calu-3 cell model (>90% of SAP transported within 4 h). The innovative SD HA-CL–SAP formulation holds potential as inhalable dry powder for the treatment of inflammatory lung disorders.

Portable rainfall simulator for plot-scale investigation of rainfall-runoff, and transport of sediment and pollutants

A low-cost, simple to use portable rainfall simulator is developed for use over a 5 m2 plot. The simulator is easy to transport and assemble in the field, thereby allowing for necessary experimental replicates to be done. It provides rainfall intensities of between 20 and 100 mm/h by changing the number and type of silicon nozzles used. The Christiansen coefficient of uniformities obtained in the field are appropriate and vary from 79 to 94% for rainfall intensities ranging from 30 to 70 mm/h. In addition, the median volumetric drop diameters measured for rainfall intensities of 30, 50, and 70 mm/h are in the lower range of that of natural rainfall and equal to 1.10±0.08, 1.69±0.21, and 1.66±0.20 mm, respectively. The velocities of the raindrops with diameters less than 1.2 mm reached terminal velocities, while raindrops less than 2.0 mm achieved velocities reasonably close to the terminal velocity of natural rainfall. Furthermore, the average time-specific kinetic energy (KET) for rainfall intensities of 30, 50, and 70 mm/h are 257.7, 760.1, and 1645.2 J/m2/h, respectively accounting for about 78.0 and 86.5% of the KET of natural rainfall for 50 and 70 mm/h rainfall intensity, respectively. The applicability of the portable rainfall simulator for herbicide transport study is investigated using two herbicides (atrazine and metolachlor); herbicide losses in runoff and sediment samples are in the ranges reported in the literature. As a percentage of the amount of herbicide applied, 5.29% of atrazine and 2.15% of metolachlor are lost due to combined water and sediment runoff. The results show that the portable rainfall simulator can be effectively used in studying processes such as pesticide runoff, infiltration mechanisms, and sediment generation and transport at a field plot scale with an emphasis on how surface characteristics such as slope and soil properties affect these processes.

A three-dimensional mathematical model for simulating ice accretion on helicopter rotors

A new three-dimensional mathematical model is proposed to predict the shape of accreted ice on helicopter rotors. The model assumes that ice accretion on a rotor’s surface occurs by flow and solidification of a thin water film on its surface. The model is developed by analyzing conservation of mass, momentum, and energy in the thin water film on a rotating curved surface. The model is expressed in rotating body-fitted nonorthogonal curvilinear coordinates, and the Coriolis-force term in the momentum equations is neglected because its effect is relatively small compared with that of the centrifugal force. The computational method is presented to solve the model, and the model is validated by comparing its results with published experimental data. The results show that the proposed model accurately predicts both the water-film thickness and the ice-layer thickness on a rotating surface. Additionally, the model has been used to study how the rotor angular speed and MVD (Median Volumetric Diameter) of the droplets affect ice accretion. The results show that an increase in both angular speed and MVD can lead to a thicker layer of ice, while the effect of MVD on ice accretion near the stagnation point becomes unobvious when MVD is larger enough.

Setup and calibration of the rainfall simulator of the Masse experimental station for soil erosion studies

This note describes the technical characteristics and the preliminary setup and calibration of a nozzle-type rainfall simulator installed at the University of Perugia's Masse experimental station. This simulator includes some innovative features, usually not present in similar low-cost instruments employed in field experiments: 1) both single and multi-nozzle operation are feasible, thus enabling the possibility to simulate variable-intensity rainfall events; 2) events are simultaneously reproduced in two identical plots (width 1 m, length 0.92 m, and slope 16%), thus obtaining two replications for each experiment; 3) the runoff volume coming from the micro-plots and the water volume falling outside the plots are both collected and conveyed to separate outlets, thus allowing an easy calculation of the infiltrated volumes and of the system efficiency.The first step of the calibration regarded the spatial distribution of rainfall, the stability of the rainfall intensity over time (within the experiment), and the reproducibility of the rainfall intensities both in space (between the two plots) and over time (among successive experiments). Next, the drop size distribution (DSD) and the related rainfall characteristics (median volumetric drop diameter D50 and mean kinetic energy per unit area and unit depth) were evaluated by the oil method for the single and some multi-nozzle applications. An effective automatic drop recognition procedure by the Fiji open-source software is proposed and illustrated.Results indicate a high uniformity of rainfall (Christiansen uniformity coefficient > 92%) in both single and multi-nozzle operation for both plots. The reproducibility of experiments over short time intervals and under similar environmental conditions is satisfactory (coefficient of variation of mean intensity < 3%). Comparing initial and final rainfall intensity values, a slight decrease was observed within each experiment (about 2% on average). Some systematic differences in rainfall intensity were also detected between the plots. The analysis of both the intensity and the DSD in the multi-nozzle operation indicated the presence of some interference among the individual sprays when larger nozzles are simultaneously activated. Moreover, in agreement with the literature, it was confirmed that this type of rainfall simulator always produces kinetic energy values lower than those associated with natural rainfall of similar intensity.

Procedure for Determining Operation Limits of High-Altitude Long-Endurance Aircraft Under Icing Conditions

To ensure flight safety and expand the availability of high-altitude long-endurance aircraft, the present study suggests a novel procedure for determining mission success or failure under icing conditions. First, the ice accretion shapes during the climbing stage are predicted under icing conditions using the one-shot method. Then, the total ice mass on the high-altitude long-endurance aircraft surface and the resulting aerodynamic performance is numerically calculated. Subsequently, metamodels are constructed to correlate meteorological parameters and aerodynamic performance. Finally, the total required power to reach the mission altitude is compared with the onboard battery capacity to make a quantitative judgment about mission success. The proposed procedure is applied to the , with a maximum takeoff weight of 20 kg, developed by Korea Aerospace Research Institute. The results show that, when the liquid water content is and median volumetric droplet diameter is below , the battery margin falls below 10%, implying that particular attention is required when operating the aircraft under those meteorological conditions. Second, when using the one-shot method to predict ice shapes, the flight speed of aircraft and air density should be taken at a midpoint altitude between the ground and the highest altitude at which droplets exist. Finally, due to the low flight speed of aircraft, only a small number of water droplets adhere to the surface, and there is little convective heat transfer, resulting in rime ice shapes even at high temperatures.

Wind turbines ice distribution and load response under icing conditions

Wind turbines operating in cold climate are susceptible to icing events. Under icing conditions, in order to gain a better understanding of the ice distribution affected by different parameters, and the load response of different components, the NREL Phase VI was selected as the test case. Firstly, the ice distribution affected by different parameters with the multi-dispersed water droplets size was investigated. Results show that the ice mass and the ice thickness increase approximately linear from the blade root to the blade tip. Higher free stream wind speed, smaller pitch angle, higher liquid water content, larger water droplets median volumetric diameter and lower temperature have bigger effect on the blade icing. Secondly, the ice shapes on the blade tip region (r/R = 80%–100%) were simulated. Then the lift coefficients and the drag coefficients of the clean airfoils and the iced airfoils were calculated. Finally, the load response of the asymmetric icing (one blade is covered with ice, the other is free) and the symmetric icing (two blades are covered with ice) of the blade and the tower were analyzed. Results show that icing can decrease the rotor thrust force, the blade root edgewise moment and the blade root flatwise moment. For the low speed shaft, the asymmetric icing can induce additional imbalance shear force. For the tower base, the symmetric icing can decrease the fore after moment, whereas the asymmetric icing can increase the side to side moment. The asymmetric load can increase the blade and the tower fatigue damage up to 97.6% and 70.8%, respectively.

Aircraft ice accretion prediction using neural network and wavelet packet transform

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a new technique based on the combination of wavelet packet transform (WPT) and artificial neural networks (ANNs) for predicting the ice accretion on the surface of an airfoil. Design/methodology/approach – Wavelet packet decomposition is used to reduce the number of input vectors to ANN and to improve the training convergence. An ANN is developed with five variables (velocity, temperature, liquid water content, median volumetric diameter and exposure time) taken as input data and one dependent variable (the decomposed ice shape) given as the output. For the purpose of comparison, three different ANNs, back-propagation network (BP), radial basis function network (RBF) and generalized regression neural network (GRNN), are trained to simulate the wavelet packet coefficients as a function of the in-flight icing conditions. Findings – The predicted ice accretion shapes are compared with the corresponding results from previously published NASA experimentation, L...

Study of the icing growth characteristic and its influencing factors for different types of insulators

Icing poses a serious threat to power transmission in many countries. Various studies on the icing mechanism and icing growth process of transmission lines have been carried out all over the world, whereas there are few reports about the icing growth mechanism and its inuencing factors on insulators to date. In this paper, articial tests of insulator icing were carried out; the inuences of temperature, median volumetric diameter (MVD), and wind velocity on the icing accretion process, ice shape, and ice type on the surface of insulators were analyzed systematically; and the icing growth performance of different types of insulators were also analyzed. Test results show that under different icing environments, the icing growth of insulators is always nonlinear; the growth rates of icicles and ice layers increase with the decrease of temperature; with the increase of wind speed, all of the ice thicknesses and the length and diameter of icicles increase signicantly; for wet growth, the impact of MVD on icing growth of insulators is not signicant; the structure of the insulator has some inuence on the icing growth process; and with the increase of length and diameter of icicles, the growth rate of the ice layer on the insulator surface decreases signicantly.