MUSIC-haic: 3D Multidisciplinary Tools for the Simulation of In-Flight Icing due to High Altitude Ice Crystals

Icing is a major hazard for aviation safety. Over the last decades an additional risk has been identified when flying in clouds with high concentrations of ice-crystals where ice accretion may occur on warm parts of the engine core, resulting in engine incidents such as loss of engine thrust, strong vibrations, blade damage, or even the inability to restart engines. Performing physical engine tests in icing wind tunnels is extremely challenging, therefore, the need for numerical simulation tools able to accurately predict ICI (Ice Crystal Icing) is urgent and paramount for the aeronautics industry, especially regarding the development of new generation engines (UHBR = Ultra High Bypass Ratio, CROR = Counter rotating Open Rotor, ATP = Advanced Turboprop) for which analysis methods largely based on previous engines experience may be less and less applicable. The European research project MUSIC-haic has been conceived to fill this gap and has started in September 2018. MUSIC-haic brings together the main European research institutions working on icing modelling as well as engine manufacturers and aircraft manufacturers. The project will develop advanced ice crystal icing models, implement them in existing industrial 3D multi-disciplinary tools, and finally perform extensive validation of the new ICI numerical capability through comparison of numerical results with both academic and industrial experimental data. The aim of the present paper is to provide an overview of the project technical objectives, scientific ambition and methodology, and work breakdown structure.