Contact UsIntroduction
Multi-shot simulation captures aerodynamic–icing coupling by updating geometry between iterations, followed by mesh deformation.
Video Walkthrough: Multi-shot icing workflow with geometry deformation and iterative aerodynamic coupling.
Governing Equations and Modeling Assumptions
The compressible Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes equations are solved with the full energy equation enabled. Turbulence modeling is required to capture boundary layer development and stagnation heating effects. The flow is treated as steady-state for this configuration.
Reference Conditions
Freestream velocity: 103 m/s
Static temperature: 265 K
Angle of attack: 4°
Boundary Conditions
Far-field conditions are applied at the inlet. Airfoil surfaces are modeled as no-slip walls with prescribed temperature to enable surface heat transfer calculations. Symmetry boundaries require no additional configuration.
Convergence and Validation Considerations
Residual reduction, lift stabilization, drag stabilization, and wall heat flux consistency should be verified before proceeding to droplet modeling. Surface roughness will have a significant impact on surface heat transfer.
Iterative Workflow
Each iteration includes airflow computation, droplet impingement, surface freezing, and grid deformation.
Engineering Implications
Multi-shot simulations better represent certification-level icing envelopes. The simulation should be split in at least 2 shots to account for the impact of the rapidly changing shape of ice on the airfoil onto the flow field. Using 10 shots would further improve the results.
Numerical Considerations
Monitor mesh quality after deformation.
Modeling Pitfalls
Using too many iterations increases tremendously the simulation time, whereas using not enough reduces the coupling accuracy.
→ From the Beginning: “Part 1: Modeling Airflow for Aircraft Icing Using FENSAP (NACA 0012 Tutorial)”
Simon Bourgault-Colt, PhD Mechanical Engineering
Staff Engineer Analyst – Fluids, SimuTech Group
Simon is a simulation engineer specializing in aircraft icing and multiphysics CFD. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Polytechnique Montréal, where his research focused on numerical methods and algorithms for predicting in-flight ice accretion on aircraft surfaces. Simon has contributed to several peer-reviewed publications on icing simulation and collection efficiency modeling and works with engineering teams to apply advanced simulation tools to complex icing and aerothermal problems. He works with engineering teams to apply advanced simulation tools such as FENSAP-ICE to aircraft icing analysis and certification workflows.
