Study of hot-air anti-icing and water film distribution on an aeroengine strut

Hot-air anti-icing tests with water film distribution were conducted on an aeroengine strut in an icing wind tunnel. The anti-icing surface temperature at the mid-section was measured using Type-T thermocouples mounted in subsurface strut holes, while a high-speed camera recorded the water film and any ice formation. The study investigated anti-icing performance across various regimes, with a focus on the characteristic distribution patterns of water film. Numerical simulations were also performed to analyze the heat flux associated with anti-icing. The results show that the surface temperature begins to decrease upon spray initiation. After approximately 10 seconds, a rapid temperature drop occurs, followed by a gradual reduction before eventually stabilizing. Along the strut mid-section, the temperature profile exhibits an initial increase followed by a decrease, peaking immediately downstream of the stagnation point. During the 180-second spray period, temperatures decline at all measuring points, with the leading edge exhibiting a steeper drop in most test runs. With relatively high incoming temperature and liquid water content (LWC) at a hot-air flow rate of approximately 6 g/s, a continuous water film forms on the leading edge. This film subsequently breaks up into rivulets downstream, transitions to discrete beads further aft, and ultimately leads to runback ice on the rear half of the surface. As hot-air flow rate and temperature increase, the anti-icing mechanism transitions to a wet regime and ultimately reaches complete evaporation mode.