Wind Tunnel Testing with a Vertical Stabilizer Common Research Model
in Ground Icing Conditions 2024-01-6006
As part of a larger research program on behalf of Transport Canada and the
Federal Aviation Administration, APS Aviation Inc. conducted a series of
representative scaled tests in the National Research Council Canada 3 m × 6 m
Icing Wind Tunnel evaluating contaminated fluid flow-off from a common research
model vertical stabilizer. The goal of this work is to help understand the
impact of de/anti-icing fluids with and without precipitation on the performance
of vertical surfaces, using existing allowance times that were developed for
horizontal surfaces to guide the test exposure times. The data include a
qualitative analysis of the appearance of the surfaces and a quantitative
evaluation using aerodynamic data from an external balance and manual
measurements of the fluid thicknesses on the model surface. The model was
evaluated in a clean and dry configuration to establish the baseline aerodynamic
performance, with sandpaper roughness testing used to as a substitute for fluids
in order to investigate model performance in a static manner. Tests with
de/anti- fluids and precipitation, including snow, ice pellets, and freezing
rain, were conducted in both static and dynamic takeoff simulations to determine
the impact of the fluids and precipitation on the model performance. In general,
fluid, fluid and contamination, and roughness testing all had comparable side
force losses; however, the worst-case conditions may not have been explored yet
as testing was generally limited to warmer temperatures above −10°C. As a
proof-of-concept, laser scanning of the model with ice contamination was
successfully completed for both pre- and post-simulated takeoff conditions.