Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Generic Ice Block Trajectories under Freestream Conditions

Abstract

An experimental database of trajectories featuring idealized, simplified artificial ice blocks under freestream conditions has been created. It includes a variation of key parameters like the ice block geometry, density, freestream velocity and release angle of attack. The ice block's position and attitude were optically tracked using a system of two high-speed cameras. The work has been performed in the scope of the recently completed EU-founded research project STORM (efficient ice protection Systems and simulation Techniques Of ice Release on propulsive systeMs) aimed at the validation and further development of current simulation tools for ice release and ice block trajectories in terms of their ability to cope with the high complexity and randomness of this phenomenon. These tools of different level of fidelity are currently used during the aircraft certification process to estimate the thread of large ice fragments released from the aircraft's surface impacting into downstream components. The major experimental findings are discussed in this article alongside an assessment of several existing as well as newly developed trajectory simulation tools on the basis of one common test case. Part of this study has originally been presented at the DLRK 2016 in Braunschweig, Germany.