Towards Numerical Simulation of Snow Showers in Jet Engine Fuel Systems

Abstract

Aircraft fuel systems are subject to icing at low temperatures. If the flow rate is increased, sudden releases of large quantities of ice may occur, called “snow showers”. They threaten the safety of flights and have been the subject of several investigations over past years. Jet engine fuel system components may be sensitive to clogging. When a snow shower happens, ice particles settle in seconds, forming a porous layer. Modelling such events involves transient hydraulics and solid dynamics. We propose to investigate numerically the dynamics of transient particle clogging. Equations of motion for the incompressible fluid phase are discretized in a high-order finite volume context and solved using a pressure-based algorithm. The discrete phase is modelled in a Lagrangian frame. Contacts between solids are handled by a dedicated algorithm. Solid volume fraction is calculated in regions occupied by particles. Finally, two-way coupling is achieved by source terms for momentum exchange, viscous and inertial loss. 2D simulation of the clogging of an ideal filter is performed.