Simultaneous Ice Water Content Measurements at Multiple Locations on the NASA DC-8 Aircraft during the 2018 HIWC RADAR Flight Campaign

Ice water content measurements were made simultaneously at three locations on the NASA DC-8 in natural, glaciated conditions during the 2018 High Ice Water Content RADAR flight campaign. The purpose of these measurements was to further evaluate efficiency factors of hot-wire total water content probes in glaciated conditions and investigate the enhancement of ice crystal concentrations near fuselage surfaces due to flow field inertial effects, and ice crystals impacting the nose, breaking up, and flowing downstream. The total water content measurements were made using either Science Engineering Associates Ice Crystal Detectors or Robust Probes. Three common sensors were mounted on an underwing canister considered to be in near free-flow conditions, a standoff from a fuselage window, and the nose of the fuselage near the pitot probes. The Ice Crystal Detector concave total water content sensor and Robust Probe sensor collection and retention efficiencies were evaluated through comparisons with the underwing Ice Crystal Detector and Robust Probe measurements to the Isokinetic Probe version 2 (IKP2), which provided the reference ice water content measurement. Local ice water content at the nose position was evaluated by comparing ratios of the nose and underwing ice crystal detectors to the IKP2. Local ice water content at the window-standoff location was also evaluated by comparing total water content sensor measurements from the window probes to the measurements made with the underwing and nose probes.

The key findings were: (1) the Ice Crystal Detector concave water content sensor efficiency factor to glaciated conditions was similar to previous estimates, but reduced with increased ice crystal median mass diameter; (2) the ice water content at the fuselage nose location near the DC-8 pitot probes was approximately 2.5 times the freestream values—although this estimate is affected by a higher probe efficiency factor due to smaller particles in the debris cloud from impacts upstream of the probe; and (3) the ice water content at the 17 in. standoff from the port window varied from about 50 percent to nearly three times freestream values in a complicated manner. Similar measurement locations are not uncommon on cloud research aircraft, where ice particle measurements may be subject to similar uncertainties.