Effects of Leading-Edge Ice
Accretion Geometry on Airfoil Performance
Han S. Kim and Michael B. Bragg
University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801
ABSTRACT
A systematic study of the effect of simulated ice shape geometry
on airfoil aerodynamics was performed. A wind tunnel test was performed using
a flapped NLF(l)-0414 airfoil where aerodynamic parameters including hinge
moment were measured. The ice shapes tested were designed to simulate a single
glaze ice horn with leading-edge radius, size and airfoil surface location
varied. In all nine ice simulations were tested at six different leading edge
locations. The objective of this research was to determine the sensitivity
of iced airfoil aerodynamics to ice shape geometry. Configurations were also
tested at three different Reynolds numbers (0.5, 1.0, and 1.8~10~). It was
determined that ice horn leading-edge radius had only a small effect on airfoil
aerodynamics. However, the aerodynamic performance was very sensitive to ice
shape size and location. An almost linear relationship between loss in maximum
lift and ice horn location was found with the largest loss at the furthest
location back on the upper surface. Reynolds number was found to have little
effect on the aerodynamic results on the airfoil with simulated ice shapes.