Unsteady Aerodynamic Measurements on an Iced Airfoil
Holly M. Gurbacki and Michael B. Bragg
University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, 61801
ABSTRACT
An experimental investigation was performed
on a NACA 0012 airfoil with three-dimensional and two-dimensional leading-edge
glaze ice accretions. The study was performed to provide a better
understanding of the relation between the iced-induced flowfield and the
airfoil performance. The upper-surface rms pressure coefficient achieved
a maximum value that increased with increasing airfoil incidence and occurred
at a location that moved downstream with increasing angle of attack.
This trend continued until maximum mean lift was attained, after which the
maximum rms pressure occurred at a constant location. Time-dependent
surface pressure measurements indicated the movement of increased suction
pressure over the airfoil surface at a convection velocity equal to half
the freestream velocity. This may represent the motion of vortices in
the separated shear layer. Elevated rms lift and moment coefficients
were also observed prior to the maximum mean values. Comparison of the three-dimensional and
two-dimensional ice shapes revealed a shorter length separation bubble aft
of the three-dimensional shape that led to a slightly higher maximum lift.
This resulted from the formation of additional vortices in the separated shear layer due to the jaggedness of the three-dimensional ice shape.
The vortices acted to enhance mixing in the shear layer causing early reattachment.