An Experimental Correlation between Rotor Test and Wind Tunnel Ice Shapes on NACA 0012 Airfoils

The Adverse Environment Rotor Test Stand (AERTS) was designed to reproduce icing clouds surrounding a 9 feet diameter hovering rotor. During prior studies, it was demonstrated that the facility can reproduce representative icing clouds. In this research, ice shapes obtained on NACA 0012 rotor blades are compared to wind tunnel results presented in the literature. The aim of the effort is to validate the capability of the facility to reproduce icing conditions on lifting rotors. Ice shapes were recorded digitally by means of 2D photograph and 3 dimensional laser scanning techniques and compared to those obtained at the NASA Glenn Icing Research Tunnel (IRT). Good agreement between ice shapes measured in the AERTS and the NASA IRT was found. Unique features of rotor icing were successfully identified and reproduced.