Numerical simulation of icing in low-temperature aviation fuel using phase field method

To study the growth characteristics of low-temperature ice crystals from entrained water in aviation fuel under varying conditions, a low-temperature icing model was established based on phase-field theory, coupled with heat and mass transfer and energy conservation equations. The model was used to analyze the effects of parameters such as water concentration and anisotropy strength on ice crystal growth at different times. The results show that a higher water concentration in the fuel leads to a larger solid phase fraction and greater dendrite diameter. As the anisotropy strength increases, the ice crystal diameter increases and eventually plateaus with minor fluctuations. The surrounding environment significantly affects ice crystal morphology. When the medium changes from air to fuel, side branching is suppressed, and the primary dendrite size is reduced. Under poly-crystalline ice nucleation, the solid phase fraction increases continuously with time, growing from 0.1584 at t = 4 to 0.2964 at t = 12, representing an increase of approximately 87.1%. Meanwhile, a higher degree of subcooling leads to a more rapid deceleration in the solid phase fraction growth rate. This research can provide a reference for understanding the ice crystal growth mechanism in fuel environments and offer insights for engineering anti-icing and de-icing methods.