Three-Dimensional Surface Evolution and Mesh Deformation for Aircraft Icing Applications

Tong, X., Thompson, D., Arnoldus, Q.H., Collins, E. M., & Luke, E. (2017). Three-Dimensional Surface Evolution and Mesh Deformation for Aircraft Icing Applications. Journal of Aircraft. AIAA. 54(3), 1047-1063. DOI:10.2514/1.C033949.

This paper presents a mesh generation strategy that facilitates the numerical simulation of ice accretion on realistic aircraft configurations by automating the deformation of surface and volume meshes in response to the evolving ice shape. The discrete surface evolution algorithm is based on a face-offsetting strategy that uses an eigenvalue decomposition to determine 1) the nodal offset direction and 2) a null space in which the quality of the surface mesh is improved via point redistribution. A fast algebraic technique is then used to propagate the computed surface deformations into the surrounding volume mesh. Due to inherent limitations in the icing model employed here, there is no intent to present a tool to predict three-dimensional ice accretions but, instead, to demonstrate a meshing strategy for surface evolution and mesh deformation that is appropriate for aircraft icing applications. In this context, sample results are presented for a complex glaze-ice accretion on a rectangular-planform wing with a constant GLC-305 airfoil section and rime-ice accretion on a swept, tapered wing (also with a GLC-305 cross section). This meshing strategy is demonstrated to be robust and largely automatic, except for severe deformations.