Influence of aerodynamic forces in ice shedding

Stresses in accreted ice on a typical airfoil impact ice caused by aerodynamic forces have been studied using finite element analyses. The objective of this study is to determine the significance of these stresses relative to values needed to cause ice shedding. In the case studied, stresses are not significant (less than 10 percent) when compared to the fracture value for airspeeds below a Mach number of 0.45. Above this velocity, the influence of aerodynamic forces on impact ice stresses should be considered in analyses of ice shedding.