A Hybrid Anti-/De-Icing Strategy by Combining NS-DBD Plasma Actuator and Superhydrophobic Coating for Aircraft Icing Mitigation

摘要

An experimental study was conducted to evaluate a hybrid anti-/de-icing strategy by combining nanosecond dielectric barrier discharge (NS-DBD) plasma actuation and superhydrophobic surface (SHS) coating on the surface of an airfoil/wing model for aircraft icing mitigation. The experimental study was performed in Icing Research Tunnel available at Iowa State University (i.e., ISU-IRT) under typical glaze icing conditions relevant to aircraft in-flight icing phenomena. While single NS-DBD plasma actuator was employed on the airfoil leading edge, superhydrophobic coating (i.e., Hydrobead) was applied to cover the entire airfoil surface. During the experiments, a high-resolution imaging system was used to record dynamic ice-accretion process over the airfoil surface, an infrared (IR) thermal imaging system was used to map the corresponding temperature distribution over the ice accreting airfoil surface quantitatively. It was demonstrated that, the hybrid anti-/de-icing strategy by combination NS-DBD and SHS is very effective in preventing ice formation and accretion over the airfoil/wing surface. The NS-DBD prevents ice formation/accretion near the airfoil leading edge by inducing thermal effects, while SHS brings lower surface adhesion and rapid surface water runback before they freeze and form ice rivulets on the airfoil/wing surface. without any modification to the system, such a configuration can also be used for as an active flow control method to suppress flow separation under non-icing conditions.