Applying Computational Fluid Dynamic to Predict the Thermal Performance of the Nacelle Anti-Icing System in Real Flight Scenarios

Ice accumulation on the inner surface of a nacelle lip-skin can be hazardous. Therefore, it is necessary that the aircraft be protected against the effect of ice accumulation. The Piccolo Tube Anti-Icing (PTAI) is one of the most reliable ice protection systems for nacelle lip-skins and aircraft wings, and is commonly used in commercial aviation. Thus, many researchers studied and developed the empirical correlation of the PTAI system, including Jeffry Brown of Queens University Belfast. He focused on the nacelle lip-skin PTAI system. However, the Brown correlation was developed at room temperature. In present study, on the other hand, the Brown correlation was modified with the help of CFD, in order to make it suitable at different ambient temperatures. CFD analysis can help to save time and effort, as well lower the cost of the nacelle design, by reducing the number of experiments required during the development. The present research executed CFD in 5 different conditions, i.e. Laboratory, Taxi, Climb, Hold, and Descent. Laboratory data closely agree with the Brown correlation, having been run in similar conditions. The average Nusselt number increases as the Reynolds number increases. In conclusion, the research demonstrated that CFD is not only capable of predicting the thermal performance of the PTAI, but it can also be used to investigate some parameters/characteristics that are difficult to obtain from experiments, e.g. the ambient temperature effects and the hot air velocity inside the D-chamber.