In-flight measurement of ice growth on an airfoil using an array of ultrasonic transducersResults from three research flights to obtain in-flight ultrasonic pulse-echo measurements of airfoil ice thickness as a function of time using an array of eight ultrasonic transducers mounted flush with the leading edge of the airfoil are presented. The accuracy of the thickness measurements is found to be within 0.5 mm of mechanical and stereophotograph measurements of the ice accretion. The ultrasonic measurements demonstrate that the ice growth rate typically varies during the flight, with variations in the ice growth rate for dry ice growth being primarily due to fluctuations in the cloud liquid water content. Discrepancies between experimental results and results predicted by an analytic icing code underline the need for a better understanding of the physics of wet ice growth.
Document ID
19870035190
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Hansman, R. John, Jr. (Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Kirby, Mark S. (MIT Cambridge, MA, United States)
Mcknight, Robert C. (NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Humes, Robert L. (Calspan Corp. Arnold Air Force Station, TN, United States)