Effect of High-Fidelity Ice-Accretion Simulations on Full-Scale Airfoil Performance
Andy P. Broeren and Michael B. Bragg
University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, 61801
Harold E. Addy Jr.
NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field, Cleveland, Ohio 44135
Sam Lee
ASRC Aerospace Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio 44135
Frédéric Moens
ONERA, 92190 Meudon, France
and
Didier Guffond
ONERA, 92322 Châtillon, France
ABSTRACT
The simulation of ice accretion on a wing or other surface is often required for aerodynamic evaluation,
particularly at small scale or low Reynolds number. Although there are commonly accepted practices for ice
simulation, there are no established and validated guidelines. The purpose of this paper is to report the results of an
experimental study establishing a high-fidelity, full-scale, iced-airfoil aerodynamic performance database. This
research was conducted as a part of a larger program with the goal of developing subscale aerodynamic simulation
methods for iced airfoils. Airfoil performance testing was carried out at the ONERA F1 pressurized wind tunnel
using a 72 in. (1828.8 mm) chord NACA 23012 airfoil over a Reynolds number range of 4.5x106 to 16.0x106 and a Mach number range of 0.10 to 0.28. The high-fidelity ice-casting simulations had a significant impact on the
aerodynamic performance. A spanwise-ridge ice shape resulted in a maximum lift coefficient of 0.56 compared with
the clean value of 1.85 at Re = 15.9x106 and M = 0.20. Two roughness and streamwise shapes yielded maximum
lift values in the range of 1.09 to 1.28, which was a relatively small variation compared with the differences in the ice
geometry. The stalling characteristics of the two roughness ice simulations and one streamwise ice simulation
maintained the abrupt leading-edge stall type of the clean NACA 23012 airfoil, despite the significant decrease in
maximum lift. Changes in Reynolds and Mach numbers over the large range tested had little effect on the iced-airfoil
performance.