On Mechanical Properties of Polymer Composite Simulated Ice Structures for Flight Testing

Abstract

: Ice accretion on aircraft airfoils poses a serious threat to flight safety by degrading aerodynamic performance and potentially causing premature stall. In airworthiness certification, dry-air flight tests with simulated ice shapes are required, and the structural strength of such artificial ice must be rigorously verified to prevent in-flight detachment. The study investigates both the aerodynamic impact of a typical glaze ice shape on a civil aircraft airfoil and the mechanical behavior of a designed simulated ice structure. Firstly, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations using the k - 𝜔 SST turbulence model are conducted for climb/descent (0.2 Ma) and cruise (0.6 Ma) conditions. The results show that the ice shape significantly reduces the maximum lift coefficient (by up to 45% at 0.6 Ma) and advances the stall angle, thereby severely impairing flight performance. Secondly, due to the advantages of UV curable resin in terms of shrinkage control and processing accuracy, a composite sandwich structure composed of a 3D-printed hollow core and glass-fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) skins is proposed for a polymer composite simulated ice structure and analyzed via finite element simulations. At the same time, its high thermal deformation temperature and the glass transition temperature can meet the environmental temperature requirements during the flight process. The design achieves a safety factor of 4.65 against the peak aerodynamic load (1.89 kN/m). Damage analysis reveals that failure occurs by progressive debonding of the adhesive layers, while the GFRP and core remain intact. Finally, experimental validation using a 3D-printed artificial ice and aluminum mold confirms the failure mode and yields a simulation error of 9.10%, demonstrating good predictive capability. Through finite element simulation and experimental verification, the mechanical properties of the designed polymer sandwich structure were analyzed, and the interface debonding process of each component was also analyzed. This study provides a validated structural design for simulated ice shape and quantifies the aerodynamic penalties of leading-edge ice, supporting safe airworthiness flight testing.