Thermomechanical Behavior of Aircraft Composite Structures in the Icing Conditions

Aircraft icing remains one of the major problems in flight control and operation of aircraft. To avoid ice accretion various de-icing and anti-icing approaches have been developed. Recently, advanced studies were performed in the fields of numerical modeling of ice accretion, and its melting during an application of de-icing and anti-icing systems. However, little attention is still paid to the thermomechanical response of aircraft composite structures acting under icing conditions and using de-icing systems. The results of numerical simulations on thermomechanical response of a representative composite aircraft skin were analyzed, emphasizing representative scenarios of aircraft icing and acting of resistive heaters as a de-icing system. A detailed introduction to energy and mass transfer of ice accretion and melting phenomena was described to highlight additional major thermal effects. A comparative analysis between wet and dry air conditions was carried out. The simulations of aero-thermodynamic and structural coupling phenomena performed demonstrated mechanical behavior of composite aircraft structures under these complex conditions.