Computational Icing Analysis on NASA’s SIDRM Geometry to Investigate Collection Efficiency

Abstract

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Computational icing analysis results were compared to experimental icing tunnel data including aerothermal (e.g., dry air) and supercooled water droplet rime-ice conditions from tests conducted in early 2022 at the NASA Icing Research Tunnel (IRT). The Simulated Inter-compressor Duct Research Model (SIDRM) test article was used in this study, and its geometry represents the inter-compressor duct region of a turbofan engine. The test article’s purpose is to study the physics of supercooled water icing and ice crystal icing. This study compared three different icing codes: FENSAP-ICE (Eulerian approach), LEWICE3D (Lagrangian approach), and GlennICE (Lagrangian approach). All three icing codes were conducted on SIDRM’s complex body flow-field and compared to different experimental supercooled water rime runs. The test article instrumentation (pressure taps, thermocouples, etc.) and 3D laser scans of final ice shapes were used to compare against the different icing code simulations. The overall objectives are to understand how the icing codes handle capturing collection efficiency on the complex test article’s unheated surfaces. In the aerothermal cases, pressure tap readings matched the CFD results, but dry air CFD underpredicted thermocouple readings. Collection efficiency results from all three icing codes matched well together on the main body leading edge, main body slope, and the strut leading edges. Rime experimental collection efficiency was calculated from the raw 3D laser scan of the ice shape using a traditional equation. Results showed different matches to the icing codes at the main body nose, ramp, and strut leading edges. All three icing codes underpredicted the final ice shape using a single-shot constant ice density approach, with more difficulty coming from the strut leading edge ice shape due to the swept wing like flow field. NASA’s overall goal for this effort is to develop computational icing tools to assist in the design and certification of engines for flight in icing conditions.</div></div>