Reliable mesh morphing approach to handle icing simulations on complex models

This paper deals with the proposal of a reliable and accurate mesh morphing based technique to efficiently handle ice accretion simulations on models of industrial interest. Such an approach is based on the mathematical framework of radial basis functions, and it can be employed together with detailed CFD analyses to dynamically mould aircraft's geometries so as to mimic the growth of ice, even when complex shapes need to be reproduced. Providing that the position of mesh nodes can be altered, the meshless characteristic of the proposed approach enables its utilization with all CFD solvers and design strategies. The main implication of the usage of radial basis is an enhanced performance and reliability in managing rough icing shapes due to, respectively, the fast application of the smoothing of volume cells and the accuracy in controlling surface mesh nodes position. To show the effectiveness of such a technique, predefined ice profiles, calculated by means of an ice accretion tool, were successfully applied on a 2d case, the NACA0012 airfoil, and on a 3d case, the HIRENASD model, using both commercial and open source CFD solvers. Those icing simulations are part of an explorative set of studies that focused on addressing the numerical strategies to be adopted in the development of the EU FP7 Project RBF4AERO.