Analysis and prediction of ice shedding for a full-scale heated tail rotor

Richard E. Kreeger, Andrew Work, Rebekah Douglass, Matthew Gazella, Zakery Koster, Jodi Turk

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

When helicopters are to fly in icing conditions, it is necessary to consider the possibility of ice shed from the rotor blades. In 2013, a series of tests were conducted on a heated tail rotor at NASA Glenn's Icing Research Tunnel (IRT). The tests produced several shed events that were captured on camera. Three of these shed events were captured at a sufficiently high frame rate to obtain multiple images of the shed ice in flight that had a sufficiently long section of shed ice for analysis. Analysis of these shed events is presented and compared to an analytical Shedding Trajectory Model (STM). The STM is developed and assumes that the ice breaks off instantly as it reaches the end of the blade, while frictional and viscous forces are used as parameters to fit the STM. The trajectory of each shed is compared to that predicted by the STM, where the STM provides information of the shed group of ice as a whole. The limitations of the model's underlying assumptions are discussed in comparison to experimental shed events.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publication8th AIAA Atmospheric and Space Environments Conference
PublisherAmerican Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Inc, AIAA
ISBN (Print)9781624104336
DOIs
StatePublished - 2016
Event8th AIAA Atmospheric and Space Environments Conference, 2016 - Washington, United States
Duration: Jun 13 2016Jun 17 2016

Publication series

Name8th AIAA Atmospheric and Space Environments Conference

Other

Other8th AIAA Atmospheric and Space Environments Conference, 2016
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityWashington
Period6/13/166/17/16

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Space and Planetary Science
  • Atmospheric Science

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