Aerospace Engineering Research Colloquium today (Friday, Feb. 24) Aerospace Engineering Research Colloquium today (Friday, Feb. 24)

Abstract: Aircraft ground and in-flight icing can have a significant impact on aircraft performance, handling qualities and thus aircraft safety. Performance degradation is the result of flow separation over critical aerodynamic surfaces due to ice contamination.

A wide range of ice accretions on aircraft surfaces is possible depending on aircraft configuration, icing and flow conditions. This presentation will introduce the audience to key aspects of aircraft icing and provide a brief description of aircraft icing research conducted by the Aircraft Icing Laboratory of the College of Engineering at Wichita State University. The research conducted has been funded by government and industry organizations and has resulted in experimental databases, engineering analysis and design tools, ice protection systems, simulation and test methodologies, spray systems for icing cloud simulation, scaling techniques for icing and aerodynamic testing and pilot training tools.

Research topics that will be presented include water droplet impingement dynamics, aerodynamic effects of ice shapes, ice protection system development and testing and use of simulation tools to support aircraft icing analysis and certification.