Abstract

Aircraft icing is widely recognized as a significant hazard to aircraft operations in cold weather. In this talk, the recent progress made in the speaker’s research laboratory in conducting a series of experimental studies to elucidate underlying physics pertinent to aircraft icing phenomena will be introduced. By leveraging a unique Icing Research Tunnel available at Iowa State University (ISU-IRT), a comprehensive experimental investigation was conducted to examine the important micro-physical processes pertinent to aircraft icing phenomena. A suite of advanced flow diagnostic techniques, including molecular tagging velocimetry and thermometry (MTV&T), digital image projection (DIP), and high-speed infrared (IR) imaging thermometry techniques, were developed and applied to achieve quantitative measurements to quantify the dynamics of water droplet impingement, transient behavior of the wind-driven surface water runback, unsteady heat transfer and dynamic ice accretion process over the surfaces of airfoil/wing models. The icephobic performance of various bio-inspired icephobic coatings, including lotus-inspired superhydrophobic coatings, pitcher-plant-inspired Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces (SLIPS) and novel durable icephobic soft gel surfaces, were evaluated quantitatively at different icing conditions (i.e., ranged from dry rime icing to wet glaze icing conditions). The findings derived from the icing physics studies can be used to improve current icing accretion models for more accurate prediction of ice formation and accretion process over aircraft wings and to develop effective anti-/de-icing strategies for safer and more efficient aircraft operation in cold weather. Our recent research efforts on aero-engine icing and anti-/de-icing as well as development of a novel anti-/de-icing strategy by utilizing thermal effects induced by Dielectric-Barrier-Discharge (DBD) plasma will also be introduced briefly.

Bio

Dr. Hui Hu is the Martin C. Jischke Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Iowa State University. He received his BS and MS degrees in Aerospace Engineering from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (BUAA) in China, and a PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tokyo in Japan. Dr. Hu is an ASME Fellow and AIAA Associate Fellow. His recent research interests include advanced flow diagnostics, aircraft icing physics and anti-/de-icing technology; film cooling and thermal management of gas turbines; wind turbine aeromechanic and rotorcraft aerodynamics; bio-inspired designs of unmanned-aerial-systems (UAS); wind engineering and Fluid-Structure Interactions (FSI) of built structures in violent wind storms (i.e., tornadoes, downbursts and snow/rain storms). Dr. Hu received several prestigious awards in recent years, including 2006 NSF-CAREER Award, 2007 Best Paper in Fluid Mechanics Award (Measurement Science and Technology, IOP Publishing), 2009 AIAA Best Paper Award in Applied Aerodynamics, 2012 Mid-Career Achievement in Research Award of Iowa State University, 2013 AIAA Best Paper Award in Ground Testing Technology, and 2014 Renewable Energy Impact Award of Iowa Energy Center. Further information about Dr. Hu’s technical background and recent research activities is available at: http://www.aere.iastate.edu/~huhui/