In-Flight Icing of Rotors in Axial Flight via a Multi-Step Morphogenetic Approach

This study extends a recently developed multi-step semi-stochastic framework for modeling in-flight icing on fixed wings to include rotors in axial flight. The flow field and particle tracking are computed in a rotating reference frame using an absolute velocity formulation. The ice shape is obtained using a stochastic algorithm based on the freezing probability distribution computed with an iterative Messinger model, which considers the centrifugal forces acting on the liquid film. The iced surface is first wrapped and then reconstructed using a level-set method. With the updated body-fitted description of the iced geometry, a new grid is automatically generated to proceed with the multi-step ice accretion process. The methodology is applied to the UAE Phase VI wind turbine rotor, both in rime and glaze conditions.