Experimental comparison of ultrasonic guide wave and thermal energy in de-icing method

Aircraft icing degrades the aircraft's aerodynamic characteristics, posing a significant risk to flight safety. Furthermore, icing on wind turbine blades is detrimental to wind energy technology. The current study compares two alternative deicing approaches, one classic utilizing thermal electrical energy and the other novel employing ultrasonic guide waves (UGW) on metallic and non-metallic surfaces. All experiments were carried out at the Institute of Aviation Engineering and Technology (IAET) in Giza, Egypt. The ice layer on the plates is formed in a freezer at a temperature of −23 °C. Deicing was investigated using three different applied powers of 3.003, 4.158, and 5.313 W while using UGW and thermal heat and maintaining the same power and surface area. The melting rate of the ice layer and the melting time required to melt the ice mass completely or partially were investigated. After 1200 s and an applied power of 5.313 W, the percentage of water melting increases by approximately 133.6 %, 158.3 %, and 176.7 % for surface thicknesses of 0.001, 0.003, and 0.005 m, respectively, compared to thermal energy technology. For metallic surfaces, UGW reduces the total ice melting time by approximately 26.13 %, 27.69 %, and 17.34 % at different ice thicknesses of 0.001767 m, 0.003535 m, and 0.005303 m, respectively, compared to thermal methods. Empirical correlations for nonmetallic surfaces predict melting ice mass as a function of deicing time and surface thickness, with an error percentage of not more than 12.96 % for the heat technique and 11.41 % for UGW. For metallic surfaces, empirical correlations predict deicing time as a function of melting ice mass and applied power, with an error percentage of no more than −3.43 % for the heat technique and 3.50 % for UGW.