Influence of Ice Accretion on Propeller-Wing Aerodynamic Interactions in eVTOL Aircraft

Atmospheric ice accretion significantly impedes the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in cold climates, effecting the aerodynamic efficiency of components. This work intends to present the numerical study concerning the interactional phenomena between an iced propeller and a clean wing of an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle in forward flight phase. The investigations are conducted at two icing temperatures, -5°C and -15°C, employing FE SNAP-ICE software to perform icing simulations and ANSYS CFX for aerodynamic interactional analysis. The findings demonstrate that turbulent and dispersed flow following an iced propeller intensified the aerodynamic interaction between the propeller and wing, leading to significant effects on the wing's aerodynamic performance, which is greatly linked to the ice structures. The results indicate 12% decrease in the lift to drag ratio of wing at icing temperature of -15°C, an increase in wing sectional suction peak of about 18% and increase in turbulence intensity of about 229% than clean propeller in the wake region. Demonstrating that overall impact of ice accumulation on UAVs exceeds than those observed for the isolated propeller and wing, highlighting an urgent necessity for ice mitigation techniques.