Numerical simulation of melting of ice accreted on an airfoil

This article presents an innovative concept of de-/anti-icing of the airplane, which is actually a process of utilization of the de-/anti-icing system and of natural melting of ice. We imagine that the airplane with ice accreted on the wings is instantaneously exposed to the airspace with relative high ambient temperature, without considering the process of gradual change in ambient temperature during flight, so as to discuss this concept theoretically and to further explore the natural melting behavior quickly through numerical simulations. The effects of the heat transfer of the wing skin and different Mach numbers on the melting of ice are analyzed with main conclusions that the heat transfer of the wing skin can accelerate the natural melting of ice although the de-/anti-icing system is closed, and that the larger the Mach number the larger the ice melting area and rate and thus the more significant the ice shape changes in the same ice melting time.