Quantitative analysis of rivulet/ice formation on a heated airfoil by Color-Coded Point Projection method

Ice accumulation on aircraft wings can cause a loss in lift and increased drag. Since the formation of different phenomena like rivulets, water runback, and ice ridges is probable, a better understanding of the underlying physics of these complex phenomena is highly desired. Therefore, having an advanced experimental technique capable of quantifying and characterizing the amount of water or ice will be of high interest. In the present study, a novel Colour-Coded Point Projection (CCPP) method is proposed and used in experiments to investigate the rivulet and ice formation on Al and SH surfaces over a NACA 0012 airfoil with a heated leading edge in the icing wind tunnel. The thickness profiles of rivulets and accreted ice were measured successfully and the effect of heating area on the leading edge and type of the surface were captured. The results showed that the proposed method is a valuable tool for on-line ice/water thickness measurements in an icing wind tunnel. •Implementation of a novel Colour-Coded Point Projection (CCPP) method in an icing wind tunnel.•Quantitative measurement of water/ice accretion on aerodynamic surfaces.•Comparison of ice/rivulet formation on aluminium and superhydrophobic heated airfoils.