Development of a Computational Fluid Dynamics Model for Ice Formation: Validation and Parameter Analysis

Abstract

In the history of civil aircraft transportation, ice formation has been identified as a key factor in the safety of flight. Anti-icing and deicing systems have emerged through the years with the aim to prevent or to eliminate ice formation on wing airfoils, control surfaces and probes. Modern flying machines demand more efficiency in order to reduce the carbon footprint and increase the sustainability of flight transport. In order to achieve this goal, the need to have an efficient aircraft with an efficient and low power consuming system is fundamental. This paper proposes a new model for ice accretion using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This model permits the simulation of the shape of the ice formed over a profile varying boundary condition (i.e., speed, liquid water content, and so on). The proposed model also takes into account the amount of heat transferred between the water and the surrounding environment and includes the effects of air turbulence on the ice formation process. The CFD simulations have been validated with NASA experimental outcome and show good agreement. The proposed model can be also used to investigate the effects of various parameters such as air speed, liquid water content, and air temperature on the ice formation process. The results evidence that the proposed model can accurately predict ice formation process and is suitable to optimize the design of anti-icing or deicing systems for aircraft and helicopters. This approach is not limited to aerospace but can also be exported to other applications such as transportation, wind turbine, energy management, and infrastructure.