Numerical Investigation of Ice Accretion Effects on Airfoil Aerodynamics Under Varying Atmospheric and Operational Conditions

This study numerically investigates the effects of icing on the aerodynamic performance of aircraft wings under various atmospheric and operational conditions. The study comprehensively analyzes the effects of liquid water content (LWC), median volumetric diameter (MVD), and airspeed parameters on ice formation, ice geometry, maximum ice thickness, collection efficiency, and aerodynamic forces. The simulation results determined that high LWC values increase the size of the horn shape, causing premature flow separation. This, in turn, leads to a decrease in the lift coefficient (C _l ) and an increase in the drag coefficient (C _d ). As the MVD increased, ice formation spread over a larger area. Notably, at an MVD of 50 µm, the highest performance losses were observed despite the maximum ice thickness not occurring at this value. When the airspeed parameter was examined, it was found that ice thickness and the associated aerodynamic losses rapidly increase in the 50–90 m/s range. At speeds above 90 m/s, this effect reaches a plateau. These findings demonstrate that each parameter significantly affects not only ice geometry but also the aerodynamic performance, which is critical for flight safety.