Experimental Study on the Critical Heat Flux of Ice Accretion along a Fine Wire Immersed in a Cold Air Flow with Water Spray

An experimental study was carried out on the critical heat flux of ice accretion along a horizontal wire immersed in a cold air stream with water spray. The critical heat flux was defined as the minimum heat flux, which could maintain de-icing along a wire. The air stream velocity and temperature range were from about 3 to 8 ms−1 and from −5 to −15 deg. C, respectively, and the average droplet diameter of the water-spray range was from 140 to 640 µm. In order to determine the effect of the wire diameter on the critical heat flux, three diameters, namely, 0.5, 0.8 and 1.0 mm were selected. The critical heat flux was determined from the profile of the variation of the wire temperature with the loading electric power on the wire. It was found for the conditions of the present experiments that the critical heat flux showed a linear increase with an increase in the air stream temperature and velocity. Moreover, the effects of the profile of droplet and wire diameter on the critical heat flux were examined.