Influence of Some Parameters of the Experimental Anti-Icing Complex "Filter" on the Efficiency of Protection of Power Plants From Snow

Unpredictable growth of ice crust on filters installed in air cleaning devices at the inlet to air supply channels to aircraft drives during operation of gas compressor stations in heavy snowfalls can lead to accidents and downtime. To combat ice growths, an experimental complex "FILTER" was developed. The developed experimental complex makes it possible to conduct interdisciplinary studies of the behavior of snow and ice covers on gas-permeable and deformable surfaces of various types, providing gas-dynamic conditions similar to those that occur near air-cleaning devices. These include precipitation in the form of snow, high relative humidity, negative temperatures at which snow and ice cover forms on the inlet filters. Studies have been carried out on the release of an ice crust formed on protective gas-permeable and deformable surfaces of various types. For its destruction, the energy of a gas-dynamic jet was used. The general design scheme of the experimental anti-icing complex "FIL-TER", the results of experiments and their analysis are presented. Thus, on the experimental anti-icing complex, an assessment was made of the effect on the efficiency of protection of a model power plant from an ice crust of the following parameters: air supply pressure to the nozzle (varied in the range 0.1–0.6 MPa), (changed in the range 7.75–13.5 m/s), the diameter of the gas-tight area and the material of the gas-permeable deformable surface. The most effective combination of parameters is determined. It was found that of the considered gas-permeable deformable surfaces, the option with a plastic mesh demonstrated the highest efficien-cy with the following flow parameters: jet pressure P ≥ 0.5 MPa, air flow velocity 13.5 m/s, gas-tight area diameter 50 mm.