Aerospace Defense

Thermal Analysis and Parametric Investigation of a Hot-Air Anti-Icing System for Engine Air Intake

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mohammad Nejati 1
Mohit Biglarian 2
Meysam Nouri Niyaraki 3

1 Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran

2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

3 Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Shahid Sattari Aeronautical University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract
In this study, the performance of a thermal anti-icing system utilizing hot air extracted from the engine compressor is analytically investigated to prevent ice accretion on the leading edge of the engine air intake. The calculations are performed for critical icing conditions, including an altitude of 3000 meters, a flight Mach number of 0.45, and an ambient temperature of −30°C. By simultaneously solving the energy balance equations for the hot-air heating channel (with an inlet temperature of 200°C) and the external surface of the leading edge, the surface temperature distribution as well as the internal and external convective heat transfer coefficients are determined at four different clock positions (12, 9, 6, and 3 o'clock). The results indicate that with appropriate design of the heating channels, the surface temperature remains above the freezing point at all locations. Furthermore, increasing the number of heating channels and the hot-air mass flow rate ratio directly enhances the surface temperature and improves the overall system performance. The proposed analytical model can serve as a fast and efficient tool for the preliminary design of anti-icing systems.

Keywords

Anti-ice system
Engine air intake
Analytical solution
Convection heat transfer coefficient
Surface temperature
Subjects
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Aerospace Defense
Volume 4, Issue 4
Autumn 2025
Pages 116-143

  • Receive Date 20 August 2025
  • Revise Date 18 July 2025
  • Accept Date 14 December 2025

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