1

Experimental investigation of ice accretion effect on

NACA 0015 airfoil

Aakhash Sundaresan1, S. Arunvinthan2, S. Nadaraja Pillai3

1,2,3 Turbulence
and Flow Control Lab, School of Mechanical Engineering,
SASTRA Deemed to be University
Thirumalaisamudram, Thanjavur, 613401, Tamil Nadu, India
nadarajapillai@mech.sastra.edu

Abstract. In the cold climatic regions and at high altitudes where the tempera-
ture falls to sub-zero conditions, the airfoil becomes susceptible to ice for-
mation and this particular phenomenon could erroneously modify the shape of
the airfoil thereby, influencing the design parameters with a significant amount
and hence aiding to a substantial decrement in the aerodynamic performance.
For this particular reason, an experimental study of ice accretion on the
NACA0015 airfoil is performed using synthetic clay as the engineered design
prototype for the actual ice formation in order to study its effects on the test air-
foil and to predict the aerodynamic performance. This study aims at verifying
an alternate yet effective method to study the ice accretion for a particular
thickness of ice (2mm) on the airfoil surface using synthetic clay. The experi-
ment is conducted at various angles of attack ranging from 0⚬ to 24⚬ at Re =
2.04105. From the analysis of the results, it can be delineated that the maxi-
mum coefficient of lift (CLmax) decreases by a significant amount of around
42% and a noticeable drag rise of around 46% is seen.

Keywords: Synthetic clay, Ice accretion, Aerodynamic efficiency, Stall, Flow

separation.

1 Introduction:

The aerodynamic performance of the airfoil critically depends on the geometry and its
characteristics including the maximum thickness, the airfoil camber and various other
design parameters. When the airfoil design is erroneously altered, automatically the
aerodynamic behavior of the airfoil also varies. This particular alteration of the airfoil
design is observed in the case of ice accretion phenomenon. When the ice accretes on
the surface of the airfoil, it primarily changes the design of the airfoil and hence influ-
ences the aerodynamic performance of the airfoil to a significant extent. Referring to
the standard atmosphere and the inversion layer mechanism[1-2], the temperature of
air decreases as the altitude increases from 0 to 11 km due to a negative lapse rate and
then the temperature remains constant up to 21 km. Further, the temperature starts
increasing beyond 21 km due to a positive lapse rate. The water droplets at high alti-
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tude exist in supercooled state and on impingement on the surface of the airfoil gets
triggered with nucleation sites. This formation of nucleation sites on the surface of the
airfoil acts as the foundation for the ice accretion on the surface of the airfoil. Since
the icing phenomenon is a time dependent process, the aerodynamic parameters vary
with time. The negative aerodynamic effect due to icing increases with respect to the
geometry of the ice formed i.e. the span wise ridge ice highly influences the aerody-
namic performance whereas the roughness ice has the minimum effect on the aerody-
namic performance. This negative aerodynamic effect for various icing severity was
discussed in detail by M.B.Bragg et.al.,[3]. Extensive research has been carried out to
eradicate this problem and subsequently optimize the aerodynamic efficiency. In the
recent research conducted by Sohrab et. al.[5], aerodynamic effects of various shapes
of ice formed on the leading edge of the airfoil has been reported and validated exper-
imentally. Many other researchers have experimentally determined the aerodynamic
effects of ice accretion on the airfoil surface by actually simulating the ice formation
either through Icing Wind Tunnel (IWT) or have utilized an artificial ice template of
various shapes mounted to the blade profile and the experiment was conducted, fol-
lowed by the analysis of the results acquired for various ice shapes. The ice accretion
simulation for both symmetric and asymmetric airfoils were conducted by researchers
through CFD analysis and the effect of icing on the aerodynamic performance was put
forth [6]. Various researchers have suggested that significant amount of ice forms on
the leading-edge of the airfoil [1-6], so this ice geometry alters the flow over the wing
and thus leads to a laminar separation bubble on the upper surface and in the down-
stream of the airfoil [5].

2 Experimental Methodology:

Prior to conducting the experiment, available data on the CFD analysis of the ice ac-
creted airfoil was procured and a strong notion of the icing phenomenon on the airfoil
was understood, followed by the validation of the results obtained through CFD anal-
ysis. In the previous research papers, the ice accretion on the airfoil was performed
through simulations using CFD analysis and experimentally through the application
of various engineering techniques including the 3D printed ice templates and the ac-
tual simulation of ice through the Icing Research Wind Tunnel (IRWT) at NASA. In
the current research, experimentation of the icing effects on the NACA0015 airfoil
was conducted inside a low-speed subsonic suction type wind tunnel situated at Aero-
dynamics laboratory of SASTRA, deemed to be University. The test section of the
wind tunnel measures 1.5m × 0.3m × 0.3m. The flow velocity inside the tunnel can be
varied from 4.2 m/s to 60 m/s. Honeycomb mesh plates have been installed at the
entrance of the test section to make the flow more uniform, resulting in a background
turbulence intensity of less than 0.51%.
The NACA0015 airfoil which was designed is shown in Fig. 2(b). The airfoil
is engineered for a chord length of 0.1m with the span measuring 0.3m resulting in an
aspect ratio (AR) equal to 3 and it has a thickness to chord length ratio of 15%.
 3

Fig. 1. (a) The airfoil setup (with synthetic clay template) mounted inside the test section.
(b). Scanivalve Pressure Scanner (MPS4000)

For measuring the pressure distribution on the surface of the airfoil, 21 pres-
sure ports have been made on the top and bottom surface of the airfoil. Ports 1-11 are
marked on the upper surface and 12-21 on the lower surface of the airfoil as shown
schematically in Fig. 2 (b). To mimic ice accretion, commercially available synthetic
clay has been employed. Synthetic clay is known for its excellent formability i.e., any
desired shape can be engineered. In the current work, the experiment is conducted
with a velocity of 30 m/s (Re = 2.04105) inside the test section. The synthetic clay is
engineered for a thickness of 0.002m, length of 0.1m and width of 0.016m which has
been validated against a recent study [6]. The thickness of the engineered ice (synthet-
ic clay) mounted to the leading edge of the airfoil was measured with the aid of a
digital Vernier caliper. The 2mm thickness model of the synthetic clay mounted to the
leading edge of the airfoil is shown in Fig. 2 (a).
In order to measure the pressure distribution at each port, pressure measure-
ment system including the multichannel pressure scanner (MPS4000) was used in the
current experimental study of ice accretion. All the ports from the airfoil are connect-
ed to the pressure scanning ports pneumatically and a thorough check on the connec-
tion of ports have been made in order to minimize any random errors. The pressure
data from the pressure scanner was acquired with a sampling frequency of 700Hz and
10000 samples of pressure data were obtained at individual ports.

(a) (b)

Fig.2. (a). 2mm thickness of the synthetic clay ice model mounted to the leading
edge of the airfoil. (b). Schematic showing the airfoil pressure ports and the synthetic
clay mounted to the leading edge of the airfoil.
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3 Results and Discussion:

The pressure data of the airfoil surface at each port is acquired from the pressure
scanner and the data is analyzed by computing the CL, CD and the aerodynamic effi-
ciency (L/D). From the knowledge of the pressure data acquired from the pressure
scanner and the location of x/c (port position), prediction of the behavior of pressure
distribution on the surface of the airfoil can be figured out by plotting the CP against
x/c.
From the pressure distribution (CP) graph as shown in Fig.3 (a) & 3 (b), at the stall
angle of attack( = 6⚬) the CP acquires a minimum value at x/c = 0.1 for both the
baseline and the ice accreted airfoil. Considering the pressure distribution at the stall
angle of attack, the CP goes to a greater minimum value than that of the 2mm ice ac-
creted airfoil which is evident from Fig. 3 (a). As the lift is directly proportional to the
measure of the pressure difference (Plower – Pupper), similarly the value of CL is also
directly proportional to the difference of (CP,lower – CP,upper) [13]. So, from the pressure
distribution plot it can be predicted that the C L decreases for the ice accreted airfoil.
With the same ideology, it can be conceptualized that the value of C D is proportional
to the difference of (CP,upper – CP,lower) and so, the CD increases significantly for the
2mm ice accreted airfoil compared to the baseline (clean wing) for the same stall
angle of attack. Considering again the pressure distribution plot at the stall angle of
attack, the pressure on the top surface increases gradually when compared to the base-
line that is, the slope of the pressure distribution for the 2mm ice accreted airfoil is
less when compared to the baseline. This signifies the fact that the flow detaches from
the surface of the airfoil at the location where the pressure remains as constant. This
detachment of the boundary layer from the airfoil surface signifies the flow separation
due to the presence of an adverse pressure gradient. This flow separation significantly
contributes to the development of pressure drag. In addition to that, the airfoil stalls at
 = 6⚬ with a significant decrease in the maximum coefficient of lift of about 42% and
a simultaneous increase in the drag of about 46% is witnessed.

-6 -2
Pressure Coefficient (C P)

Pressure Coefficient (C P)

Baseline(Clean wing) Baseline(Clean airfoil)

2mm ice accretion 2mm ice accretion
-4
-1
-2
0
0

2 1
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
Chord-wise Position x/c Chord-wise Position x/c
Fig.3(a). Plot of CP vs x/c at stall angle of Fig.3(b). Plot of CP vs x/c at pre-stall
attack( = 6⚬) angle of attack( = 3⚬)
 5

0.6 Baseline(Clean wing 0.3 Baseline(Clean wing)

Coefficient of drag(CD)
Coefficient of lift(CL )

2mm ice accreted wing 2mm ice accreted wing

0.25
0.4
0.2

0.15
0.2
0.1

0 0.05
0 5 10 15 20 25 0 5 10 15 20 25
Angle of Attack( ) Angle of Attack( )

Fig.4(a). CL vs angle of attack () for Base- Fig.4(b). CD vs angle of attack () for
line (Clean wing) and the 2mm ice accreted baseline (Clean wing) and the 2mm ice
wing. accreted wing.

4 Conclusion:

Based on the experimental investigation performed over the baseline clean wing and
the modified ice accreted wing section at various angles of attack. The following con-
clusions are made as follows:
i. Ice accretion over the airfoil influences the aerodynamic performance char-
acteristics significantly.
ii. Ice accretion of thickness 2mm formed near the leading-edge tends to re-
duce the maximum lift coefficient by 42% relative to the clean wing config-
uration.
iii. Similarly, a 46% increase in drag can be seen with the formation of ice over
the leading edge of the wing.

This experimental study of ice accretion over the clean wing using the synthetic clay
technique can act as a guideline for the aerodynamic design engineers in engineering
the ice formation over the wing and can help in suggesting prompt protective
measures in optimizing the aerodynamic performance.

Acknowledgment:
Funding: This work was supported by the Science Engineering Research Board
(SERB), Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, File No:
ECR/2017/001199 and “Research and Modernization fund, SASTRA Deemed Uni-
versity” grant number R&M/0035/SoME-008/2015-16. The authors thank Science
Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science & Technology (DST)
and SASTRA Deemed University for their financial assistance.
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