Determining Region of Installation of Flat-Ended Piezoelectric De-Icing Actuators on Curved Surfaces

The mechanical-vibration-based de-icing method removes ice that has accumulated on an airfoil structure through the ultrasonic excitation of piezoelectric actuators, and it has considerable potential for use in aircraft anti-icing/de-icing technology. This study examines the problem of the bonding gap in flat-ended piezoelectric actuators when they are mounted on the curved surfaces of wings, and it determines the installable region for bonding of suitable quality for each actuator. The influence of the adhesive layer on interfacial shear stress and the thickness threshold are first obtained by using a finite element simulation that considers the adhesive layer. We then discuss algorithms to determine the installable region for three research objects-two-dimensional curves of the airfoil, two-dimensional plane surfaces, and three-dimensional airfoil surfaces-and use them to calculate the suitable area for actuator adhesion with bonding gaps of a limited size. The influence of the parameters of wing structures, such as the wing rib and positions of other sensors, is also considered. The accuracy of the algorithms is verified by analyzing cases involving actuators of difference sizes and surfaces. The usefulness of determining the characteristics of the leading edges of airfoils of different shapes is also highlighted.