3d reconstruction of ice shape using visible and thermal range imaging for aircraft icing study

Abstract. Aircraft icing is one of the main factors decreasing the flight safety. Qualitative and quantitative understanding of the icing process is crucially needed for developing anti-icing measures and safety recommendations. Changes in aerodynamic characteristics of aircraft caused by changes in shape of aircraft surfaces due to the ice accretion can lead to significant aerodynamic performance degradation. So the reliable and accurate information of how the shape of the ice accretion influences on aerodynamic characteristics is a key point for predicting the changes in aerodynamic performance. The study addresses to a problem of accurate shape measuring of ice accretion for further experimental study of iced-aircraft aerodynamic in a hydrodynamic tunnel. For this purpose the evaluation of various techniques of ice 3D measurements is performed that include as visible so thermal imaging of ice accretion. The results of evaluation serves for the decision of preferable technique to be used in experimental study. Also the framework is developed for creating physical models of iced aircraft based on result of real ice accretion shape measurement. It allows to produce stereolithography (SLA) copies of of an aircraft under icing condition for different levels of icing. These SLA-models of an aircraft under icing condition are then used for flow behaviour study in order to identify critical flying condition.