Numerical investigation of ice particle accretion on heated surfaces with application to aircraft engines

Abstract

Under certain conditions a porous ice/water layer builds up on hot surfaces in aircraft engines or on heated probes and eventually leads to their malfunction. In this study a numerical algorithm for the computation of heat and mass fluxes within and over the system boundaries of such a porous ice/water layer is developed. The code predicts the amount of liquid in the porous layer, which potentially can help to model ice shedding. This solver accounts for phase transitions between the solid, liquid and gaseous state as well as for the heat fluxes in the substrate on which the ice accretes and in the porous ice/water layer. A verification of the code is carried out using test cases for which analytical or experimental data are available. These cases encompass all the physical mechanisms which eventually lead to ice accretion and shedding. Numerically predicted results show excellent agreement with available data in all the test cases. Existing accretion experiments are well reproduced by means of the code and yield insight into the governing physical processes. Finally, an analysis of parameters of high influence on the accretion reveals limits for icing.