Numerical Investigation of Aerodynamic Heating Influence on Ice Accretion Processes of Rotating Blades

Aerodynamic heating can become significant with increasing velocity, particularly in the blade tip region of rotating blades. While most studies in this field have relied on experimental tests, numerical simulation of icing on rotating blades offers a cost-effective and efficient alternative, enabling detailed analysis of aerodynamic heating's effect on ice accretion. In this study, we aim to investigate the role of aerodynamic heating on ice accretion around rotating blades. To capture the three-dimensional effects in heat transfer, a comparative analysis is conducted between Quasi-3D and 3D simulations. By varying rotational velocities (ω), the effect of aerodynamic heating on heat transfers an ice accretion around rotating blade is investigated. The CARADONNA-TUNG (C-T) rotor, featuring a NACA 0012 cross-section, is selected for icing simulations under representative conditions (T∞= 263.15 K, MVD=20 µm, LWC=0.5g/m3). Icing simulations for the C-T rotor are performed using a combination of RANS flow solver (Spalart-Allmaras and k-ω-SST turbulence models), Eulerian droplet solver and Shallow-Water icing model. Results reveal that the choice of turbulence model influences total ice mass predictions by up to 6%, with SA and k-ω-SST showing good agreement. The comparison of the heat transfer coefficient predicted by the quasi-3D and 3D simulations reveals a maximum difference of approximately 35% at the tip of the rotor blade. Furthermore, the results show that increasing the rotational speed from 1250 RPM to 1600 RPM leads to a 67% reduction in the ice mass accreted at the blade tip. With a further increase to 1950 RPM, almost no ice is accreted at the tip.