This paper discusses the use of several experimental techniques to investigate the performance and flowfield of a swept wing with leading-edge ice at low Reynolds numbers. Force balance measurements were made over a range of angles of attack and Reynolds numbers. Surface oil visualization and pressure sensitive paint were used to investigate the flow over the surface of the wing, while five-hole probe wake surveys were used to investigate the wake. The flowfield of the iced swept wing was dominated by a leading-edge vortex that formed at low angles of attack due to separation from the tip of the ice shape, while for the clean wing a vortex did not form until higher angles of attack. The effect of Reynolds number on the performance and flowfield was also investigated.
The aerodynamics of swept wings with leading-edge ice is very complex and not fully understood. Previous swept wing icing studies have only provided force balance measurements and/or qualitative flow visualization. In order to more fully understand the complex aerodynamics it is necessary to understand how the ice influences the drag breakdown and the spanwise distributions of lift and drag. This paper utilizes 5-hole probe wake surveys and a far-field analysis to decompose the drag into profile and induced drag components and to determine the spanwise distributions of lift and drag. It is shown that the leading-edge ice primarily influences the profile drag and the induced drag is relatively unaltered. Features observed in the lift and drag distributions are related to features seen in the wake as well as in surface oil flow visualization.
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