Ice Shedding Trajectory Analysis and Impact Measurement on a Large-Scale Propeller Test Rig

Advanced methodologies are presented for analyzing ice shedding events from large-scale propellers during icing tests in a climatic wind tunnel. Significant improvements were made to the three-dimensional reconstruction of ice shedding trajectories, including enhancements to the camera system, calibration procedure, particle tracking, and correspondence algorithms. A novel particle capture system was developed and integrated into the wind tunnel, enabling the collection and preservation of ice shedding particles for measurement. By correlating the mass of collected particles with their impact velocities, the kinetic energy at the moment of impact was determined. Microtomography provided detailed assessments of particle shape, volume, and ice density. These techniques were applied in two test campaigns involving large-scale propellers equipped with electrothermal ice protection systems at the Rail Tec Arsenal Icing Wind Tunnel. The resulting data offer new insights into the dynamics of propeller ice shedding and support improved modeling and design of ice protection systems.