Effect of underwing frost on a transport aircraft airfoil at flight Reynolds number
Abstract
The effect of underwing frost on a transport aircraft airfoil in a takeoff configuration was studied. Underwing frost can occur when the lower surface of the wing is cooled by fuel cold-soaked in the wing tanks during cruise. Frost may accrete on the wing lower surface while the aircraft is awaiting takeoff. A two-dimensional test was performed in the NASA Langley Low-Turbulence Pressure Tunnel on a representative high-lift airfoil with a leading-edge slat and trailing-edge flap. Frost was simulated on the lower surface using distributed roughness particles. The test was conducted at M - 0.2 and Re = 5 x 106 to 1.6 x 10 7. The effects of the frost on performance were generally small, with the largest effects occurring for the open-slat case with the frost starting at 12% chord. In this situation, it was found that the frost contaminated the upper surface boundary layer at high angles of attack, increasing drag and reducing maximum lift.
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Frost deposition on airplane wings increases surface friction drag during take-off or navigation, affecting safety.
“The frost deposition increases the surface friction drag during take-off or navigation, thus affecting its safety [24].”
From Review on the measurement and calculation of frost characteristics (2018) · cites this paper as [24]
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- Authors
- Bragg, M. B., Heinrich, D. C., Valarezo, W. O., & McGhee, R. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
- McDonnell Douglas Aerospace, Long Beach, California 90846
- Langley Research Center (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Aircraft
- Published
- 1994-11
- Volume
- 31
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1372-1379
- ISSN
- 0021-8669 (ISSN-L)
- 1533-3868
- OpenAlex
- W2041202060
- Cited by
- 40
- References
- 13
- Citations by year
- 2025: 6 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 4 · 2016: 2 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 0.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Aircraft (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Aerospace Engineering › Icing and De-icing Technologies
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Computational Mechanics › Fluid dynamics and aerodynamics studies
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Computational Mechanics › Fluid Dynamics and Turbulent Flows
- Keywords
- airfoil aerodynamics, transport aircraft, high-lift airfoil, leading-edge slat, trailing edge flaps, drag, maximum lift, low-turbulence wind tunnel
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