Abstract:
To facilitate a rational anti icing design for turboprop engine intake assemblies subjected to propeller rotation, the ice accretion on a full annulus, real configuration turboprop intake assembly was numerically investigated. This assembly includes an intake duct, an intake casing, struts, an axial flow casing, and zero stage guide vanes. The simulations determine the impingement characteristics of supercooled water droplets and the icing distribution on the component surfaces, and further evaluate the effect of propeller rotational speed on icing characteristics. The results indicate that, due to the counterclockwise rotation of the propeller, both the velocity and the liquid water content (LWC) of the supercooled droplets on the left side of the intake assembly flow passage are higher than those on the right side. The impingement regions of supercooled droplets on the surfaces of each component essentially coincide with the icing distribution, and the most severe conditions are concentrated on the windward surfaces on the left side of the flow passage. Specifically, the strut located at the far left of the flow passage experiences the most severe droplet impingement, resulting in a maximum ice thickness of 3.2 mm. Correspondingly, the zero stage guide vane located downstream of the strut pressure surface exhibits the most severe icing, with a maximum ice thickness of 3.25 mm. Along the flow direction of the supercooled droplets, the total ice mass on the intake components surfaces decreases sequentially. Variations in propeller rotation induce significant changes in the total ice mass; notably, a 10% increase in rotational speed reduces the total ice mass by 6% to 8%. These findings provide a valuable reference for the design of anti icing systems in turboprop engines, particularly accounting for the effects of propeller rotation.