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Preliminary Investigation of Cyclic De-Icing of an Airfoil Using an External Electric HeaterAn investigation was conducted in the NACA Lewis icing research tunnel to determine the characteristics and requirements of cyclic deicing of a 65,2-216 airfoil by use of an external electric heater. The present investigation was limited to an airspeed of 175 miles per hour. Data are presented to show the effects of variations in heat-on and heat-off periods, ambient air temperature, liquid-water content, angle of attack, and. heating distribution on the requirements for cyclic deicing. The external heat flow at various icing and heating conditions is also presented. A continuously heated parting strip at the airfoil leading edge was found necessary for quick, complete, and consistent ice removal. The cyclic power requirements were found to be primarily a function of the datum temperature and heat-on time, with the other operating and meteorological variables having a second-order effect. Short heat-on periods and high power densities resulted in the most efficient ice removal, the minimum energy input, and the minimum runback ice formations. The optimum chordwise heating distribution pattern was found to consist of a uniform distribution of cycled power density in the impingement region. Downstream of the impingement region the power density decreased to the limits of heating which, for the conditions investigated, extended from 5.7 percent chord on the upper surface of the airfoil to 8.9 percent chord on the lower surface. Ice removal did not take place at a heater surface temperature of 32 F; surface temperatures of approximately 50 to 100 F were required to effect removal. Better de-icing performance and greater energy savings would be possible with a heater having a higher thermal efficiency.
Document ID
19810068711
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Other - NACA Research Memorandum
Authors
Lewis, James P.
(National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. Lewis Flight Propulsion Lab. Cleveland, OH, United States)
Bowden, Dean T.
(National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. Lewis Flight Propulsion Lab. Cleveland, OH, United States)
Date Acquired
August 11, 2013
Publication Date
February 4, 1952
Subject Category
Fluid Mechanics And Heat Transfer
Report/Patent Number
NACA-RM-E51J30
Accession Number
81N73133
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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