A Finite-Volume Approach to Modeling Ice Accretion

In this work we present a novel, generalized, multiscale physics, unstructured finite-volume, CFD approach for simulating ice accretion on aircraft. A multi-physics solver that evaluates the (1) air flow, (2) droplet trajectories, (3) surface-liquid flow, (4) solidification, and (5) computes the deformed ice shape, is presented. Initial results show promise in the developed methods and solvers, that are expected to later be extended for future rotorcraft ice-accretion analysis. Initial validation cases are presented for the various components of the solver, and compare reasonable well with LEWICE and experiments for simple geometries. This initial capability displays a capability that could be extended, in future efforts, with more detailed models and provide ice shapes of similar quality as the current methodologies, while providing a capability that extends to more complex configurations such as rotorcraft.