Uses of NACA-Era Icing Wind Tunnels

Published: Wed 20 July 2022
Updated: Wed 16 October 2024

tags: icing tunnel

"Icing wind tunnels can simulate natural icing with water-spray and refrigeration systems ... to permit safe, convenient and relatively inexpensive testing." 1

P-39 in the Icing Research Tunnel
How much of a P-39 can one fit into an icing wind tunnel?

Summary

A wide variety of test articles were used in the NACA-era Icing Research Tunnel (IRT)

Key Points

  1. 37 publications were found describing the use of the IRT.
  2. A wide variety of test articles were used in the NACA-era Icing Research Tunnel

Discussion

Readers are encouraged to see "We Freeze to Please": A History of NASA's Icing Research Tunnel and the Quest for Flight Safety, which includes information from NACA-era internal memos and interviews that I have not seen published elsewhere.

There were five icing wind tunnels used by NACA. The majority of the tests were performed in the Icing Research Tunnel (IRT) as NACA Lewis. The four other tunnels are briefly described in the "Other icing wind tunnel tests" section below.

I found 37 NACA publications 2 that discuss use of the NACA Icing Research Tunnel. Four more publications discuss the use of other icing wind tunnels.

A wide variety of test articles were used. These included (detailed further below):
- A large portion of a P-39 airplane
- engine nacelles
- inlet and engine components - icing instruments
- radomes
- several airfoils, including some with ice protection
- cylinders

Test purposes were varied. Purposes included:
- ice shapes on unprotected components
- efficacy of ice protection systems
- limiting water ingestion and ice in inlets
- calibrating icing instruments
- ice prevention coatings
- ice on propellers
- impingement efficiency measurement (with the dye tracer method)
- measure the aerodynamic effects of ice on airfoil sections

Many tests were with full scale test articles (although, due to tunnel size limitations, sometimes limited span wing sections). Some were with scaled down test articles, and one with a scaled up test article (NACA-RM-E50H29, "The increased size was required to provide for adequate instrumentation and is in accordance with current design trends")

The IRT has a turntable (vertical, floor and ceiling), which many test articles used. Some were floor mounted, and others had special purpose mounts.

The nominal test section was used in most tests.
However, some test articles were mounted in the upstream converging section or downstream expansion section.

Selected images

Figure 1 from Gray, 1969 Aircraft Ice Protection Report of Symposium. Plan view of NASA-Lewis Icing Research Tunnel.
from 1969 Aircraft Ice Protection Report of Symposium 3

Figure 1 of NACA-TN-1246. Engine cooling-fan installation.

Figure 2 of NACA-TN-1134. Installation of induction-system test setup in icing research tunnel.

Figure 1 of NACA-RM-E9E12. Photograph of model installation in tunnel test section.
from NACA-RM-E9E12

Figure 1 of NACA-RM-E53J30. Installation of swept airfoil with partial-span leading-edge slat in icing tunnel.
from NACA-RM-E53J30

Figure 8. Test on glucose coating. Heavy spray. Temperature -1 C. Airspeed 70 m.p.h.

Test Articles in the NACA IRT

(In approximate chronological order)
Note that while NACA-RM-E50K10 was published in 1951, it contains data from a test conducted in 1945.

Publication Test Article Scale Ratio Portion Mount
NACA-RM-E50K10a pneumatic deicer on a 42-inch chord airfoil 1 section From ceiling of contraction
NACA-TN-1134 engine nacelle with carburetor inlet scoop 1 half (upper) floor
NACA-TN-1246 engine nacelle with cooling fan 1 full pedestal from floor of settling chamber
NACA-TN-1520 modified fuselage with propeller 1 full pedestal mount from floor of settling chamber
NACA-TN-1691 modified fuselage with propeller 11:15 reduced prop diameter full pedestal mount from floor of settling chamber
NACA-TN-1586 NACA-TN-1587 NACA-TN-1588 modified fuselage with propeller 1 full pedestal mount from floor of settling chamber
NACA-RM-E8A27 NACA-RM-E8A28 NACA-RM-E8A29 engine nacelle 0.5 full pedestal
NACA-RM-E9EO6 cascade vanes 0.67 2D section pedestal from floor
NACA-RM-E9E12 engine nacelle 0.67 full pedestal from floor
NACA-TN-1789 scoop on 8-foot chord airfoil 1 section vertical floor to ceiling
NACA-RM-E50I08 cascade vanes Full 2D section pedestal from floor
NACA-RM-E50E03 engine nacelle not stated full pedestal from floor
NACA-RM-E50H29 cascade vanes 2:1 2D section pedestal from floor
NACA-TN-2480 8-foot chord airfoil 1 section vertical floor to ceiling
NACA-RM-E51E16 NACA pressure-type icing-rate meter and rotating disc instrument 1 full not stated
NACA-RM-E51B12 cascade vanes Full 2D section pedestal from floor
NACA-RM-E51J29 8-foot chord airfoil with internal gas heating 1 section vertical floor to ceiling (turn-table)
NACA-RM-E51J30 8-foot chord airfoil with external electric heating 1 section vertical floor to ceiling (turn-table)
NACA-RM-E53C27 8-foot chord airfoil with internal gas heating 1 section vertical floor to ceiling (turn-table)
NACA-TN-2962 8-foot chord airfoil with internal gas heating 1 section vertical floor to ceiling (turn-table)
NACA-RM-E53E07 induction-system air-scoop assembly incorporating a flush alternate inlet 1 full pedestal from floor
NACA-RM-E52J31 radome 1 full pedestal from floor
NACA-RM-E53C26 82-inch chord swept airfoil with external electric deicers 1 section vertical floor to ceiling (turn-table)
NACA-RM-E53J30 6.9-foot chord swept airfoil with internal heating 1 section vertical floor to ceiling (turn-table)
NACA-RM-E54I03 swept airfoil 1 half wall turn-table
NACA-TN-3338 2 and 6 inch diameter cylinders 1 end plates pedestal from ceiling elevator
NACA-TN-3564 87-inch chord airfoil with pneumatic deicer 1 section vertical floor to ceiling (turn-table)
NACA-TN-3839 several different airfoils 1 section vertical floor to ceiling (turn-table)
NACA-RM-E56B23 6.9-foot chord swept airfoil with internal heating 1 section vertical floor to ceiling (turn-table)
NACA-RM-E56E11 different airfoil models full scale leading edge, aft truncation section vertical floor to ceiling (turn-table)
NACA-TN-4155 6-foot chord airfoil 1 section "cantilevered from the tunnel balance frame by a mounting plate attached to the bottom of the airfoil"
NACA-RM-E57G09 supersonic nose inlet 1 full pedestal from floor
NACA-TN-4268 supersonic nose inlet 1 full pedestal from floor

Other icing wind tunnel tests

Publication Test Article Scale Ratio Portion Mount Location
NACA-TN-339 ice prevention coatings on a 3-inch chord airfoil not stated section not stated Refrigerated Wind Tunnel, Langley, Virginia
NACA-TN-712 Calibration of NACA Icing Tunnels anti-icing on a 72-inch chord airfoil 1 section not stated 7-foot by 10-foot tunnel, Langley, Virginia
NACA-TN-2615 Heated Probes hot wire instrument 1 full not stated Constructed test facility, Moffett Field, California
NACA-TN-3104
NACA-TN-3143
NACA-TN-3396		 6-inch chord airfoil not stated section full span wall-to-wall 3.84-inch by 10-inch Transonic tunnel NACA Lewis, Ohio

A 12-inch by 12-inch tunnel is mentioned in "The Icing Problem" 4, but I have not found where it was used.

References

  • von Glahn, Uwe H., and Renner, Clark E.: Development of a Protected Air Scoop for the Reduction of Induction-System Icing. NACA-TN-1134, 1946.
  • Lewis, James P.: Wind-Tunnel Investigation of Icing of an Engine Cooling-Fan Installation. NACA-TN-1246, 1947.
  • Lewis, James P.: De-Icing Effectiveness of External Electric Heaters for Propeller Blades. NACA-TN-1520, 1948.
  • Lewis, James P., and Stevens, Howard C., Jr.: Icing and De-Icing of a Propeller with Internal Blade Heaters. NACA-TN-1691, 1948.
  • Mulholland, Donald R., and Perkins, Porter J.: Investigation of Effectiveness of Air-Heating a Hollow Steel Propeller for Protection against Icing, I - Unpartitioned Blades. NACA-TN-1586, 1948.
  • Mulholland, Donald R., and Perkins, Porter J.: Investigation of Effectiveness of Air-Heating a Hollow Steel Propeller for Protection against Icing, III - 25-Percent Partitioned Blades. NACA-TN-1588, 1948.
  • Perkins, Porter J., and Mulholland, Donald R.: Investigation of Effectiveness of Air-Heating a Hollow Steel Propeller for Protection against Icing, II- 50-Percent Partitioned Blades. NACA-TN-1587, 1948.
  • von Glahn, Uwe H.: Ice Protection of Turbojet Engines by Inertia Separation of Water, I - Alternate-Duct System. NACA-RM-E8A27, 1948.
  • von Glahn, Uwe H.: Ice Protection of Turbojet Engines by Inertia Separation of Water, II - Single-Offset-Duct System. NACA-RM-E8A28, 1948.
  • von Glahn, Uwe H.: Ice Protection of Turbojet Engines by Inertia Separation of Water, III - Annular Submerged Inlets. NACA-RM-E8A29, 1948.
  • Dallas, Thomas, and Ellisman, Carl: Analysis and Preliminary Investigation of Eddy-Current Heating for Icing Protection of Axial-Flow-Compressor Blades. NACA-RM-E9EO6, 1949.
  • Ruggeri, Robert S., and Callaghan, Edmund E.: Experimental Investigation of Hot-Gas Bleedback for Ice Protection of Turbojet Engines, III - Nacelle with Short Straight Air Inlet. NACA-RM-E9E12, 1949.
  • Ruggeri, Robert S., von Glahn, Uwe H., and Rollin, Vern G.: Investigation of Aerodynamic and Icing Characteristics of Recessed Fuel-Vent Configurations. NACA-TN-1789, 1949.
  • Gray, Vernon H., and Bowden, Dean T.: Icing Characteristics and Anti-Icing Heat Requirements for Hollow and Internally Modified Gas-Heated Inlet Guide Vanes. NACA-RM-E50I08, 1950.
  • von Glahn, Uwe H., and Blatz, Robert E.: Investigation of Aerodynamic and Icing Characteristics of Water-Inertia-Separation Inlets for Turbojet Engines. NACA-RM-E50E03, 1950.
  • von Glahn, Uwe H., and Blatz, Robert E.: Investigation of Power Requirements for Ice Prevention and Cyclical De-Icing of Inlet Guide Vanes with Internal Electric Heaters. NACA-RM-E50H29, Dec. 1950.
  • Gelder, Thomas F., and Lewis, James P.: Comparison of Heat Transfer from Airfoil in Natural and Simulated Icing Conditions. NACA-TN-2480, 1951.
  • Gowan, W. H., Jr., and Mulholland, D. R.: Effectiveness of Thermal-Pneumatic Airfoil-Ice-Protection System. NACA-RM-E50K10a, 1951.
  • Perkins, Porter J., McCullough, Stuart, and Lewis, Ralph D.: A Simplified Instrument for Recording and Indicating Frequency and Intensity of Icing Conditions Encountered in Flight. NACA-RM-E51E16, 1951.
  • von Glahn, Uwe H., Callaghan, Edmund E., and Gray, Vernon H.: NACA Investigations of Icing-Protection Systems for Turbojet-Engine Installations. NACA-RM-E51B12, 1951.
  • Gray, Vernon H., Bowden, Dean T., and von Glahn, Uwe H.: Preliminary Results of Cyclical De-icing of a Gas-Heated Airfoil. NACA-RM-E51J29, 1952
  • Lewis, James P., and Bowden, Dean T.: Preliminary Investigation of Cyclic De-Icing of an Airfoil Using an External Electric Heater. NACA-RM-E51J30, 1952.
  • Neel, Carr B., Jr., and Steinmetz, Charles P.: The Calculated and Measured Performance Characteristics of a Heated-Wire Liquid-Water-Content Meter for Measuring Icing Severity. NACA-TN-2615, 1952.
  • Gray, Vernon H., and Bowden, Dean T.: Comparison of Several Methods of Cyclic De-Icing of a Gas-Heated Airfoil. NACA-RM-E53C27, 1953.
  • Gray, Vernon H., and von Glahn, Uwe H.: Effect of Ice and Frost Formations on Drag of NACA 651_212 Airfoil for Various Modes of Thermal Ice Protection. NACA-TN-2962, 1953.
  • Lewis, James P.: Investigation of Aerodynamic and Icing Characteristics of Flush Alternate-Inlet Induction-Systems Air Scoop. NACA-RM-E53E07, 1953.
  • Lewis, James P., and Blade, Robert J.: Experimental Investigation of Radome Icing and Icing Protection. NACA-RM-E52J31, 1953.
  • Ruggeri, Robert S.: De-Icing and Runback Characteristics of Three Cyclic Electric, External Deicing Boots Employing Chordwise Shedding. NACA-RM-E53C26, 1953.
  • von Glahn, Uwe H., and Gray, Vernon H.: Effect of Ice Formations on Section Drag of Swept NACA 63A-009 Airfoil with Partial-Span Leading-Edge Slat for Various Modes of Thermal Ice Protection. NACA-RM-E53J30, 1954.
  • Bowden, Dean T.: Investigation of Porous Gas-Heated Leading-Edge Section for Icing Protection of a Delta Wing. NACA-RM-E54I03, 1955.
  • von Glahn, Uwe H., Gelder, Thomas F., and Smyers, William H., Jr.: A Dye-Tracer Technique for Experimentally Obtaining Impingement Characteristics of Arbitrary Bodies and a Method for Determining Droplet Size Distribution. NACA-TN-3338, 1955.
  • Coles, Willard D.: Icing Limit and Wet-Surface Temperature Variation for Two Airfoil Shapes under Simulated High-Speed Flight Conditions. NACA-TN-3396, 1955.
  • Bowden, Dean T.: Effect of Pneumatic De-Icers and Ice Formations on Aerodynamic Characteristics of an Airfoil. NACA-TN-3564, 1956.
  • Gelder, Thomas F., Smyers, William H., Jr., and von Glahn, Uwe H.: Experimental Droplet Impingement on Several Two-Dimensional Airfoils with Thickness Ratios of 6 to 16 Percent. NACA-TN-3839, 1956.
  • Gray, Vernon H., and von Glahn, Uwe H.: Heat Requirements for Ice Protection of a Cyclically Gas-Heated, 36 Swept Airfoil with Partial-Span Leading-Edge Slat. NACA-RM-E56B23, 1956.
  • von Glahn, Uwe H.: Use of Truncated Flapped Airfoils for Impingement and Icing Tests of Full-Scale Leading-Edge Sections. NACA-RM-E56E11, 1956.
  • Gray, Vernon H., and von Glahn, Uwe H.: Aerodynamic Effects Caused by Icing of an Unswept NACA 65A004 Airfoil. NACA-TN-4155, 1957.
  • Gelder, Thomas F.: Total Pressure Distortion and Recovery of Supersonic Nose Inlet with Conical Centerbody in Subsonic Icing Conditions. NACA-RM-E57G09, 1957.
  • Gelder, Thomas F.: Droplet Impingement and Ingestion by Supersonic Nose Inlet in Subsonic Tunnel Conditions. NACA-TN-4268, 1958.

Related

The icing water spray calibration of the IRT will be discussed in the next post in the Icing Wind Tunnel Test thread.

Notes

  1. Anderson, David N.: Manual of scaling methods. No. E-14272, NASA/CR-2004-212875. 2004. ntrs ↩

  2. All the NACA publications mentioned may be found at ntrs.nasa.gov ↩

  3. Anon., "Aircraft Ice Protection", the report of a symposium held April 28-30, 1969, by the FAA Flight Standards Service; Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC 20590. I could not find this on the NTRS or on the FAA site. It is available at DTIC. ↩

  4. von Glahn, Uwe H.: The Icing Problem, presented at Ottawa AGARD Conference. AG 19/P9, June 10-17 1955. ntrs.nasa.gov ↩

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