Technical Paper
Aerodynamic Fidelity of Ice Accretion Simulation on a Subscale Model
2007-09-24
2007-01-3285
This paper presents the results of a study designed to determine the level of fidelity required to accurately reproduce the performance effects of ice accretion on airfoils. Castings of streamwise and spanwise-ridge ice accretions were obtained from tests in an icing wind tunnel. The streamwise-ice accretion was characterized by a smooth conformal shape on the leading edge followed by rime feathers downstream. For the spanwise-ridge ice accretion the leading edge of the airfoil was smooth. There was an upper surface ridge at x/c = 0.10 and a lower surface ridge at x/c = 0.17. The high-fidelity casting simulations were attached to the leading edge of a subscale (457.2-mm (18-inch) chord) NACA 23012 model and aerodynamic performance testing was performed at a Reynolds number of 1.8×106 and a Mach number of 0.18. Lower-fidelity simulations were developed for each ice accretion to determine the fidelity required to match the performance of the airfoil with castings.